“Science Talent Farming Scheme is devoted to provide maximum educational provisions and opportunities for students specially who belong to far flung areas, to harness the benefits of science and for general public”, stated by Federal Minister for Science and Technology (S&T), Rana Tanveer Hussain. The Minister was addressing the closing ceremony of one-week summer camp for Second Batch of 300 students of “Science Talent Farming Scheme” (STFS). He said that the launching of a caravan of nine mobile Science Talent Farming Labs under Science Talent Scheme affirm this resolution.

These busses are equipped with e-learning system which will travel across the schools of the country to popularize science specially for far flung areas where students have no or insufficient provision of science practical. Despite having of multiple hurdles, government has set to make Pakistan strong and flourishing said S&T Minister.

“It is a moment of satisfaction for him when Science Talent Farming Scheme succeed”, the Minister said. This scheme would produce best scientists near future, he added. Rana Tanveer also announced the establishment of National Science School which is need of the time to increase the fizzling out interest of science in students.

Prof Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms said at the ceremony, “no nation can progress without the passion and quest of knowledge; and science is the key”. He dreamed for future Nobel Laureates among the beneficiaries of STFS, and emphasized students to target high and achieve it as a national noble cause.

He aims for Pakistan one of the top 25 economies of the world under the Vision 2025, and said that STFS will help to achieve this aim. The Minister also advised Pakistan Science Foundation to award students every year for best innovation and science research articles.

Federal Secretary Fazal Abbas Meken said that there is lack of educated human resource in science and technology and it is nation’s best treasure. He stressed students to become frontline troops of the country, and highlighted the importance of invention to make Pakistan on the road to development which could only be achieved by alteration in thinking and self-certainty.

Chairman PSF Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf while highlighting the transparency of the Scheme said “selection of STFS students is being made on merit in a very transparent manner”. He lamented that the state of science labs in the schools especially in rural areas is below standard, while most of them don’t even have labs, whereas labs are the vital part of science education.

Commending the government’s Vision 2025, Dr Ashraf said “Science Caravans of PSF has been transformed into state of the art mobile Science Talent Farming Labs to provide laboratory facility to far flung areas schools to increase the science education standard”. He suggested the government to establish minimum most two modern science labs in every district every year.

Science Talent Farming Scheme is meant to achieve knowledge based economy through capacity building of the youth, having aptitude towards science education. The prime target of the STFS is to support and groom the talented but less privileged science students from government schools, in their studies and groom them to become productive scientist.

Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Fazal Abbas Mekan, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Jamil Qureshi, Project Director STFS, teachers and students were also present at the occasion.

Later, the Chief Guest the S&T Minister distributed laptops among 300 students of the 2nd batch of STFS students.