:KARACHI Minister spells out need for space technology
KARACHI, Nov 28: The Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy, Dr Hamida Khuhro, has said that in this age of information technology and because of the universal role of science and space technology, only nations that were knowledge-based had a bright future.
She said this while addressing the concluding ceremony of the World Space Week organized by Suparco at the Maritime Museum the other day.
Students from both public and private schools had set up stalls and participated in declamation and debate contests about space science.
The minister appreciated the efforts of Suparco for involving schoolchildren in weeklong activities and said it would create awareness among youths and future scientists about latest developments taking place in space science and technology.
Dr Hamida said the role of space technology in daily life was increasing, adding that our life had been transformed by communication-, weather-, and remote sensing satellites, and global navigation-, and search and rescue satellite systems besides other space explorations.
“Television, radio, the internet, weather updates, instant news, and live sports matches are the most known applications of space technology,” she said, while the less known and less appreciated applications included navigation, positioning, mapping, agriculture, Tele-education and Tele-medicines, etc.
The spin-off benefits of space technology were bringing products and services, which would not have been available otherwise, the minister said, adding that all this testified the importance of space technology in all walks of modern life, she remarked.
She continued to say that space technology and its applications were means of becoming part of a knowledge-based community.
She said it was essential for Pakistan to not only develop space technology but also involve the whole nation particularly the youth through awareness programmes.
Dr Hamida announced that public sector schools in Sindh would be provided maximum possible resources for developing science laboratories so that future generations could be motivated and provided opportunities for taking interest in science.
Earlier, she gave away awards and shields to position holders of the World Space Week contests, and congratulated students and their teachers who had won in the contests and competitions.
The Chairman, Suparco, Maj-Gen Raza Hussain, and Director General, Space Application Air Commodore Arshad Siraj also spoke.—PPI
