Universal recognition for B-Tech holders soon

Senate panel sets up subcommittee on framework

ISLAMABAD:

After years of struggle, B-Tech degree and diploma holders may get universal recognition in the country may finally get official recognition, solving issues about their employment.

The issue was discussed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Professional Training, National History, and Literary Heritage which met in the Parliament Lodges on Tuesday with Senator Rukhsana Zuberi in the chair.

Senator Mohammad Ali Saif, who had first raised the issue on the floor of the Senate in March, said that the educational qualifications of Bachelors in Technology (B-Tech) graduates are recognised in other countries but not in all parts of Pakistan.

Senator Jamal Dini said thousands of B-Tech degree holders are roaming around jobless.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) was directed to submit a report on the matter

HEC officials told the committee that the matter began in 1973, adding that no regulatory framework was established for the related degree.

They added that there was a major difference in the skills of technologists and engineers. However, the HEC said that it was ready to implement the decision of the panel.

The standing committee decided to form a sub-committee, with members from the federal education ministry, HEC, B-Tech delegation, and other related institutions. The subcommittee will submit its report within a month.

The committee had also directed to establish a National Technology Cell but it was not built yet, he added.

Senator Kakar further directed HEC to cooperate with students studying abroad in the provision of stipends, adding that the commission should try to get students admitted in the top 500 universities of the world.

The committee also reviewed the matter about publishing derogatory material against the Pashtun community.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said that defamatory material had been published against the Pashtoons hailing from Buner in general, while the Yousufzai tribe was particularly targeted.

He added that the Yousufzai tribe constitutes half of the Pashtun population and demanded to summon the publisher and related institutions in the next meeting.

The committee was informed that the federal and provincial governments have already taken notice of the matter and action against it would be initiated soon. The officials said that a ban had been imposed in Punjab on such books and first information reports (FIR) have also been registered against some authors.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2020.