Director IT, Department of Science, Technology & Information Technology, Government of KPK
Q: Tell us about the IT Directorate?
A: Directorate of Information Technology Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was established in 2004 under the Department of Science and Technology & Information Technology with a vision to enhance delivery of public services to citizens in an efficient and cost effective manner, improve the quality of government service and management, enhance the collaboration of the internal departments and the interactions between the government and the public, optimize the government business process, , and finally to construct an honest, diligent, transparent and efficient government using information and communication technology.
Q: What are the key points or functions of IT directorate of KPK?
a. Promotion of IT literacy, awareness and Human Resource Development in KP region
- Establishment & Implementation of E- Government Infrastructure and initiatives
- Promotion of Local Software Industry in KP and its related activities
- Promotion of ICT related Research and development activities
As you know that Information and communication technology (ICT) is playing an increasingly important role in the work and personal lives of peoples. To promote IT literacy, awareness and capacity building of IT graduates the Directorate of IT has planned and initiated following initiatives which would be completed phase wise; A comprehensive IT training/literacy/capacity-building plan has been prepared. It has been observed that fresh IT graduates do not possess the market oriented professional skills and could not be absorbed in national/international IT markets. To bridge this gap professional skill development program has been started and an IT Excellence Center has been established in Deans Trade Center for Professional Skill enhancement for fresh and unemployed IT Graduates. In next 3 years 15000 young graduates will be trained on market oriented skills, To promote IT in true sense the work on establishment of IT University has been started., All the High schools/Colleges will be equipped with computer labs and computer course will be started from High Schools level, Massive IT awareness campaign would be launched shortly to update the masses of the region for the use of this technology, Courses for soft technical skills would be arranged for other than IT graduates.
Q: What is the current progress of IT in KPK and how the KPK student is benefitting from the work of IT department?
A: We have implemented more than 20 IT projects till now. I would like to discuss few of them.
• Computerized setup for Driving Licenses completed and functional throughout the province
• Property taxes computerized at Peshawar and extended to other districts
• Computerization of Land Record of one Revenue Halqa in Peshawar completed and business process being examined for change
• Lady Reading Hospital computerization being finalized
• Computer Software finalized for staff record, recruitments, promotion, posting transfers and infrastructure.
• All recordkeeping in Provincial Assembly has been computerized
• IT Excellence Center has been established for preparing IT graduates from Universities for Entrepreneurship
• Computerization of public service commission is being carried out.
KPK students are getting many benefits. More than 300 fresh IT graduates have been trained in IT Excellence Center and they have secured very good jobs in the market. There is another program for free IT Certifications like MCIT, OCP, CISCO for IT graduates. Also another huge training program is under way in which more than 15000 graduates would be trained on market demanded skills. We are also encouraging un employed IT graduates to be make their career as an IT entrepreneur and start their own IT business for which government would provide required funds in shape of grants and subsidies.
Q: What is your department doing for promoting IT industry in KPK?
A: As, I have stated that we are trying to equip the government departments with IT. We want to promote IT all over KPK and Pakistan. A major milestone that we’re working on is the establishment of Information Technology Park. In fact this will be the major hub of IT related activities and commerce. Government has already funded one billion rupees for this. This IT Park will be in Deans Trade Center, Peshawar. All the software houses will come under the umbrella of IT department. They’ll be provided with space and free electricity and we will support them, if they need our professional programmers or help in any other way.
Q: If I have done a project, how can I sell it in market through you people?
A. It’s quite easy these days, through our IT Park you can sell any of your small or large projects in the market. Moreover, you can visit our website.
Q: How to involve the students with IT?
A: There are many opportunities; skillful students are the demand of the market, but the unskilled students are also trained as I discussed previously. There were many jobs and internships this year. The students are only required to be in touch with IT and other computer subjects.
Different projects are out there in the market. We train young professionals and introduce them to IT market. IT Parks are there and it has a condition that is 75 percent of the employees will be from KPK. The students studying IT and Computer Science should not lose their hope due to unemployment and other problems. The future is theirs.
Q: what are the challenges that IT industry faces, especially in Pakistan?
A: The many challenges faced by IT and IT-enabled services industries In Pakistan includes uninterrupted power supply, reliable and fast bandwidth, however our biggest challenge is the Pakistan’s international image, issue which can be tackled by the nation as a whole, to project our positive image to the world .Actually the Geo-political instability creates a constant brain drain, which results in the lack of local and foreign investors’ confidence. As many foreign companies are reluctant to do business with Pakistan-based IT companies ,despite knowingly that we can deliver high quality services at a much lower cost. Most importantly, the incredible irresponsible attitude of the Government and the lack of dedicated technology parks, which can become the hubs of IT-related activities and commerce. It is the need of the hours to eradicate corruption from public and private sector organization, for this the computerize system is required, as it brings transparency, accountability, Integrity, and non-repudiation to any system. So, many of the officials feel reluctant to implement this finger click system ant act like a barrier at all.
Q: what’s your opinion about the current syllabus and teaching methodology at under graduate level in Universities?
A: I’m not happy with the current syllabus and teaching methodology at all; first, there is Lack of software and hardware equipment, Computer laboratories were available with software and
Internet facilities; however, the provision is less than robust, secondly there is an Absence of research strategy , although potential exists, thirdly the Inexperience of teaching staff ; Lecturers are mostly fresh graduates without, or with minimal, industrial experience. They know the theory well but lack the understanding of practical issue, fourthly, there is no arrangement of Staff training and short internal courses to be kept updated. Fifthly, no enough attention is paid to the Student presentations. And lastly there is no career counseling department to guide and direct students to market, the need to establish link between market and Institution is more important than ever. These all are the ground level issue and need to be addressed. How ever the HEC and IT ministry is trying to play there due role in resolving these issue by Setting up strategies Thus, the will is there and signs are good,
Web Address:
http://www.khyberpakhtunkhwa.gov.pk/department/ itec/
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