PM instructs transparent, merit-based selection of students for agri training in China

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed relevant authorities to ensure transparent merit-based selection of students to be sent to China for modern training in agriculture sector. The Prime Minister, who chaired the meeting on the issue, also ordered the formation of a committee to address the complaints of students who failed to meet the standard during the inspection. Calling China a proven friend of Pakistan, he appreciated its development in the agriculture sector and told the participants that during his visit to China, he requested the Chinese leadership for modern training of Pakistani students in the agriculture sector. He said the Pakistan government would bear the cost of training the students and the first batch would soon leave for China. A 10% quota has been allocated for Balochistan among the students to be selected for training, he added. PM Shehbaz also thanked Chinese leadership and universities for enabling Pakistani students. In the meeting, the prime minister was told that 1,287 male and female students applied through the portal, of which 711 — including students from Gilgit Baltistan and Balochistan — fulfilled the criteria. Students will be sent to China in two batches. Scheduled to depart for China this March, the first batch of 300 students will receive training in irrigation improvement, veterinary disease diagnosis and monitoring, veterinary breeding and genetics, and advanced seed preparation and processing. A second batch of 400 students will go to China by mid-year to be trained in the use of modern farm machinery, rapid crop growth and modern farming techniques including artificial intelligence and fruit and vegetable processing. The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer Hussain and Ahad Khan Cheema, Chairman Higher Education Commission and concerned senior officers.