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| January 29, 2002 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 14, 1422 |
Musharraf urges students to excel in technology
ISLAMABAD, Jan 28: President Pervez Musharraf on Monday emphasized the need for developing a society where merit was the only recognition.
He was speaking at an awards ceremony, at the Chief Executive Secretariat, to the distinguished achievers in the secondary and higher secondary school certificate examinations 2000.
“Societies where merit is not adhered to, could never progress rather has a demoralizing effect and eventually results in the brain drain,” Mr Musharraf assured.
The president distributed 46 certificates and some special scholarships among the students of 16 educational boards of the country who had topped in the secondary school as well as higher secondary school certificate examinations in 2000.
He awarded Rs50,000 each to the position holders in SSC examinations and Rs200,000 each to the candidates of HSC for meeting the expenses of higher learning.
Seven special scholarships were also given to the students of low income group to acquire higher education in any public sector institution of the country.
The president also asked the students to focus more on acquiring ‘wholesome’ knowledge, concentrate on capacity and character building besides developing an acumen in science and technology to excel in this world of competition.
“Our generation as a whole has failed Pakistan. We have played our innings and about to go while you, who hold the destiny of the country, has to replace us,” said the president.
The world has shrunk in size in which we could not compete if we were also not equally good both in terms of quality and capacity, he observed.
The president, who preferred to talk to the students directly, suggested the students to learn English, geography and acquire the habit of reading and writing.
He quoted the example of China where every second person was learning English to get his due share in the world of information technology.
“Our strength used to be in English, but unfortunately with the passage of time we have weakened ourselves in it,” he lamented, though he also admitted that as a nation we were mentally sharper than others.
He said our focus