He added that the country’s planning machinery did not reconcile the knowledge paradigm with the production one, while chairing the consultative workshop on “Science Talent Farming Scheme” at the Planning Commission on Wednesday.
“We cannot boast of having 500 PhDs in the textile industry out of our 7,000 PhDs in science despite the fact that 65% of our exports are textile related,” said Iqbal. “The Science Talent farming Scheme is one of the initiatives of the Vision 2025 which is our national transformation programme. We are looking forward to producing 500 top science talents every year, having the capacity of breakthrough technology and research.
“These top high school science students will be groomed as world class scientists, technologists and IT entrepreneurs through the well-structured and planned science talent programme.”
The minister suggested that the software of the Science Talent Farming Scheme; characterised by the methodology of selecting 500 talents, prioritisation of development areas where these science students can be utilised from high school to PhD level, must be focused for the success of this initiative. He also invited input of the participants “The PC has directed all the federal ministries and project executions agencies in the provinces that the spirit of stakeholder participation must be inculcated and embraced before the launch of any development project.
“The government is committed to change by investing in our youth. We will encourage education in science and technologies of electronics, bio-technologies, computer, manmade material and technologies as the drivers of change. The Science Talent farming Scheme will also identify as to how science laboratories and science subjects can be introduced in the rural areas. The government of Punjab has already inducted 25,000 science teachers in the last two years which has improved the qualitative aspect of our education.
“If India can establish the IT industry by investing in science and technology, Pakistan can also go a long way in this direction through targeted planning and allocation in development budget.”
He condemned “dharna politics” as a harbinger of change and said, “Change is a natural phenomenon and an evolutionary process. It needs to be institutionalized rather than imposed”.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2014.
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