SPECIAL REPORT ISLAMABAD: The future of about 50,000 Bachelors of Technologists in Pakistan is at stake as the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has refused to treat them as equivalent to the BSc engineers, by brazenly flouting the Supreme Court dB.Techs and BSC engineers complete their studies in equal four years.
The PEC prepares syllabus, conducts exams and issues degrees to B.Techs, but it does not recognize them equivalent to the BSc Engineers, which is extremely injustice to the B.Techs.
Taking a suo moto notice of the issue, the SC in its October 1995 had instructed the PEC to treat the B.Techs equivalent to the BSe engineers on all fronts and give them equal rights in terms of getting employments.
According to documents available with the newspaper, the Higher Education Commission and FPSC also recognize the B.Techs at par with the BSe engineers. The PEC had accepted the court decision, however, after few years it started ignoring the court instructions and resorted to its old stance.
“The PEC has a mala fide intension in treating the B.Techs, which has put the future of over 50,000 B.Techs at stake as they are experiencing discrimination in getting employments,” Chairman Pakistan Council of Technologists Sheikh Javed told this scribe.
He said that B.Tech programme was formally launched in 1973 and the then Ministry of Education was directed to give status of B.Tech (Hons) degree at par with B.Sc Engineering/B.E degree, according to the letter No. 15-29/73-Tech.
“The B.Tech holders study the same courses like engineers and are equally competent but they have to struggle and file cases individually to recognize their degree status,” Sheikh Javed said.
It is to be mentioned here that the National Assembly in 2008 had passed an amended bill on the issue, however, the word ‘B.Tech’ was intentionally omitted from it and sent it to Senate. The Upper House pointed out the omission of ‘B.Tech’ word in the bill and sent it back to the National Assembly. However, the assembly over-ruled this objection and again passed it with the same status and now the bill is pending before the Senate seeking passage.
Experts say that in Pakistan B.Techs are considered more important in handling machines as they have two-year practical experience of internship before starting their jobs while BSe engineers have skills only of designing machines which has very little scope here.
They said that issue is of vital importance as it involves the future of over 50,000 B.Techs in the country and suggested that the government should constitute a separate council that would make a policy about their future status and handle other related issues.
The government has now allowed the private sector colleges to conduct this course for B.Techs, and about 10,000 B.Techs are being produced every year in Pakistan.
“This is complete injustice with the B.Techs on the part of PEC as all UETs of the country not only kept the standard of these courses up to that of B.Sc Engineering but also announced this degree equivalent to B.Sc Engineering,” revealed Waseem Raja, Chairman Pakistan Society of B-Tech Engineers while quoting a letter (No 3688 dated 15-10-1980) issued in order to define the status of B.Techs.
The experts said that the government needs to intervene and take some remedial steps in order to save the fature of the B.Techs who are currently facing discriminatino at the hands of a clique running the PEC.
http://www.technologytimes.pk/mag/2011/feb11/issue02/pec_puts_future_of_over.php
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