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200 acres for ‘internet city’
THE governor of Sindh has approved the allocation of more than 200 acres of land for setting up an ‘internet media city’ in Karachi. Dr Ishratul Ibad gave the approval recently while chairing a meeting of the Sindh Information Technology Advisory Board, which he heads.
During the meeting, Dr Ibad urged the board members to formulate a vision with three-, five- and ten-year targets for promoting information technology in the province. The meeting was attended by Information Technology Minister S. Mustafa Kamal, Principal Secretary Brig (Retd) Akhtar Zamin and concerned officers from the private and public sectors.
The governor expressed the hope that with coordinated efforts and by utilizing the best available capabilities, Sindh would secure a prime position in the IT sector. The benefits of the efforts, he said, should reach the masses.
He directed the IT minister to make available on the internet all relevant forms and data, of all the government departments, so that the people could download the required information without having to stand in long queues.
Syed Mustafa Kamal later told reporters that the proposal for allocation of land for the proposed ‘internet city’ was submitted by the Sindh IT department some three months ago. It would now be submitted to the chief minister for approval.
The said land was located on a link road that leads to the Super Highway, he said. The governor had issued directives that the land be handed over to the Sindh IT department as soon as possible.
The minister pointed out that the government intended to provide infrastructure, utilities as well as linkages on the pattern of the Dubai media city, adding that this would enable IT firms to set up shop in Karachi.
He was of the opinion that the step would greatly help in attracting foreign investment as well as contributing towards bringing about an IT revolution in the country.
A reduction of about 40 per cent has been observed in the pollution caused by tanneries in the Sialkot district, following the successful implementation of anti-pollution policies and the effective use of the ‘cleaner production techniques’.
Chairman of the Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA), Shaikh Abdul Waheed Sandal, said recently his association had joined hands with the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) for setting up a Leather Production Development Institute (LPDI) and Cleaner Production Centre (CPC) in Sialkot.
He said the institute would be providing skilled manpower to the industry, besides enhancing production and quality standards. He added that industrialists in Sialkot were playing their role in conservation of the environment, too.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has declared the results of the candidates who took the test for PhD scholarships for basic sciences in China. The scheme was recently announced by the HEC for outstanding teachers and researchers working in the public sector universities, colleges and R&D organizations.
The tests were given simultaneously in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar on Dec 26. A total of 240 candidates had applied for the scholarships and 136 were deemed eligible for the entry test.
Of the 136 candidates, only 115 sat the test. The candidates passing the test will appear for interviews to be held in March. The successful candidates will be required to prepare research proposals in advance for their PhD studies, which will be presented to the interview panel.
They will also be required to bring their original academic and service documents which will be presented before a team of delegates from the China Scholarship Council once the interviews are scheduled in the last week of March.— Sci-tech World report
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