ISLAMABAD: Provision of clean and affordable drinking water project would be inaugurated soon, initially with the collaboration of fifty Utility stores across the country, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry announced on Monday. Talking to a private news channel, he stated the paraphernalia of clean drinking water would be installed in 50 utility stores to provide safe water on initial basis, subsequently more than 1000 utility stores would be included, moreover schools, hospitals and railway stations were as well enlisted to provide clean water to public. Replying to a question, he said Pakistan Air Force was given a mission to send Pakistani astronauts to travel into space and the first phase of briefing was going on, 50 applicants would be selected for getting trained and later 20 would be picked out of 50 to send into space. “This is a high budget mission but as China is a collaborator on this novel assignment so burden is being shared,” he mentioned. He stated by the end of 2020 or in the beginning of 2021 Pakistan would kick off the space training program for the candidates to venture space. Besides the other projects of Ministry of Science and Technology, it was determined to upgrade 456 government schools by turning them into science schools, students of grade 6-8 would be taught advance science and technology moreover 12 billions were earmarked for the scholarship program for the PHD students in science field, he remarked.–Agencies
