Prime Minister former Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk has emphasized upon the need for greater collaboration among the Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Education and relevant provincial bodies for updating the curriculum to make it more relevant to the realities of time. While chairing a briefing of Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said that promotion of science and technology is critical to the socio-economic development of the country.
He also underlined the need for putting in place a robust mechanism of cooperation among all stakeholders to ensure quality and standards of the health-related equipment and implants which are being developed and utilized in the country.
Secretary Science and Technology Yasmin Masood briefed the Prime Minister about the mandate and performance of various organizations of the ministry in various streams including academics, policy formulation, research and development, standardization/regulation and promotion of inter-governmental cooperation in the field of science and technology.
Outlining the highlights of major achievements, it was informed that National Institute of Oceanology and Ministry of Science & Technology along with Pakistan Navy had played a lead role in securing extension of more than 50,000 square kilometers to the country's existing continental shelf.
In the field of academics, the recognition achieved by NUST and COMSATS among the top-ranking universities of the world contributed to improving the country's profile at international level. The Prime Minister was informed that development of cardiac stents, orthopedic implants and 72 different types of scientific/biomedical equipment, at affordable price, were among the major achievements of the ministry and its allied departments.
The meeting was also briefed about various initiatives of the ministry including Research Productivity Award (RPA) to encourage young scientists, National Science Talent Farming Program for granting scholarships to the talented students for a period of five years and establishment of Precision Systems Training Centers in various cities of the country.
Federal Minister for Science & Technology Muhammad Yusuf Sheikh, Secretary to the Prime Minister Suhail Aamir, Secretary MoST Yasmin Masood and senior government officials were present during the briefing.