Editorial

Neglect of science

Many of the pending projects have been hung up for almost a decade

Editorial August 16, 2016

MoST logo

Science is one of the key building blocks of development. It may not make headline news beyond populist stories about crackpot ‘inventions’ like water-powered cars and the like, but science is one of those things that quietly move us all forward. Unless it happens to be the government of Pakistan that is providing the motive power, in which case science either comes to a grinding halt or simply goes backwards. Science for this and other governments has been on the back burner at least since 2007, according to a representative of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) who has said that since then only five projects have been completed. A further 20 projects lie dormant because of shortage of money and/or delay in releasing funds to finish them.

A cursory glance at completed projects reveals they are ‘nuts and bolts’ — essential but unglamorous. A safe drinking water project, a centre for cast metals and foundry technologies, and another centre for proficiency testing for analytical laboratories as well as the upgrading and modernisation of herbal, mineral and food pilot projects at a complex in Peshawar. None of these are likely to grip public attention and are easy to shove to the back of any queue in terms of funding priorities. Yet all of them address wider quality-of-life issues that tangentially touch all of us knowingly or otherwise, and we ignore them and their support at our peril. This government has spoken often of the development of a ‘knowledge economy’ — which implies a technological revolution of sorts, the advance of which ought to be the job of the MoST. Unfortunately, the ministry does not even have adequate buildings to conduct its business in, and this despite having been twice approved by the Central Development Working Party and once by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council. How many permissions are needed we are led to wonder? Many of the pending projects have been hung up for almost a decade, a decade in which science elsewhere in the world has advanced by leaps and bounds. Pakistan needs science, and it is time the government woke up to that.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2016.

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COMMENTS (2)

HZR | 8 years ago | Reply For any modern nation to develop and deliver on its promises science is the key for growth and progress.Myths and nostalgia for old times if fine but that should not be confused for growth and development Looking back is not going to help any nation.

Toti calling | 8 years ago | Reply There is nothing more important than education and science. If humans did not invest energies in science, we will still be travelling on horses and with bare minimum needs instead of flying in planes, trains and using smart phones and internet. There is more Senescence, the general dwindling of prowess experienced by all as time takes its toll, is coming under scrutiny from doctors and biologists. Suspending it is not yet on the cards. But slowing it probably is. Average lifespans have risen a lot over the past century, but that was thanks to better food, housing, public health and some medicines. The new increase would be brought about by specific anti-senescence drugs, some of which may already exist. Many think in 30 years we will have people averaging age of 125. As it is, you can have a new knee or a new heart and any other part of the body and if brain cells can be activated, nothing will stop this process. Scientific research can make mistakes, but it admits and try again with other methods and does not fall back on old sayings.

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