Islamabad: The Rightsizing Committee of the Federal Government has approved the closure of six institutes under the Ministry of Science and the merger of four other institutes.
The decision is aimed at streamlining the work and reducing the manpower of the ministry, the Rightsizing Committee decided to retain only six institutions of the ministry with less manpower.
The remaining institutions will either be closed or merged. A report on the implementation of these recommendations is due by July 20.
The documents show that the Council for Works and Housing Research, Pakistan Council for Science and Technology and Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technology will be closed.
Additionally, the National Institute of Electronics could either be merged or closed, while the Scientific and Technological Development Corporation would be dissolved.
The committee has also directed a third-party review of the Pakistan Halal Authority, and directed the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) to undergo digitalisation.
The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has been asked to propose a plan to raise its standards and secure seats for 100 universities.
The National University of Technology will have to submit a five-year plan for self-sufficiency, while the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research will evaluate the performance of a third party.
The committee also demanded a 50 percent reduction in staffing levels in the Ministry of Science and Technology.
