STAFF REPORT IBD: While expressing its satisfaction about the initiatives and performance of Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology said that the Foundation should take steps for marketing the research so that the society could take full benefit of it. It also recommended that the end users and the industry may be involved from very beginning in the research projects for efficient results. The Senate committee, chaired by Senator Sajid Mir, met here recently to have an overview of the performance of the PSF. Members and the Committee, Secretary Zarghoona Shabbir, Secretary Science and Technology Secretary Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.
In his remarks, PSF Chairman Prof. Dr. Manzoor H. Soomro briefed the committee on the PSF statutory functions, structure and achievements, especially its Research Support Programme, RandD Industry Programme, Natural Sciences Linkages Programme (NSLP), and Science Popularization Programme, Inquiry-based Science Education Programme.
He also briefed the Committee on the working of PSF subsidiary organizations Pakistan Museum of Natural History and Pakistan Scientific and Technological Center.
Secretary Science and Technology informed the committee about the financial problems being faced by the SandT organizations in general and PSF in particular, which is hampering the performance. He urged the committee to take up this issue at the forum of Upper House. The Committee Chairperson assured of his support in this regard.