Thursday, December 25, 2003

Leghari vows action against low standard IT institutions

Leghari vows action against low standard IT institutions
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Initially published in The Daily Times
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_25-12-2003_pg7_15

Staff Report

LAHORE: Some private information technology institutions are not giving absorbing stuff and the Ministry of Information Technology has written to the Higher Education Commission to form an accreditation council to put a check on such institutions, said Federal Communication and Information Technology Minister (C&IT) Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Wednesday.

The minister was speaking at the launching ceremony of a two-and-a-half years Urdu Localisation Project at the centre for research in Urdu language processing in the National University of Computer and Engineering Sciences (NUCES).

Mr Leghari said such projects would encourage people to use computer technology. “This will help bring IT revolution in Pakistan,” said the minister.

Mr Leghari said he was ready to provide private IT institutions and industries with financial support which begin such projects.

The minister expressed dissatisfaction on the performance of some private IT institutions. “According to reports, the number of such institutions is around 17 and they would be dealt with an iron hand,” he said and added the government was keen on promoting IT research.

To a question, he informed that the federal government would make a law on the problem hacking the IT field.

NUCES Dean Dr Ayub Alvi told reports that the project would especially help those who were not English literate. “The program will translate links from English into Urdu,” he said. A 50-member team including NUCES students, headed by Dr Sarmad Hussain, will complete the project with Rs 34 million by 2006. This is a government-sponsored project.


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