India is strengthening its collaborations and relations with severalcountries in various fields including science and technology,pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and health sectors. There has been asignificant increase in the co-operation agreements signed by India withvarious leading countries in the last one year. These agreements areexpected to place India in a distinct position, globally.
India has signed an agreement with China during early September 2006, tostrengthen cooperation in Science and Technology. Under the MoU signed,India and China will form a Joint Steering Committee at the Ministeriallevel which will prepare a road map within three months for future scienceand technology cooperation. It will review the multiplicity of agreementsand arrangements that are already in place with a view to strengthen thosewhich are going on and reactivate those which have not been fully utilised.
The Union Cabinet gave its approval during August, 2006, to the Agreement onScientific and Technological cooperation between India and Ireland. Theagreement was actually concluded during the State Visit of Irish PrimeMinister to India on January 19, 2006. It provides for cooperation between the scientific institutions, research centres / institution of highereducation and enterprises and the conclusion of particular implementingarrangements for the conduct of such cooperative activities.
The agreement also provides for the creation of a Working Group, which shallmeet alternatively in the two countries, to review and discuss thedevelopments of scientific and technological cooperation between them and todiscuss matters related to the implementing arrangements on this Agreement.
The Cabinet gave its approval during June 2006 to the Agreement signedbetween India and Sweden on December 9, 2005 at Stockholm on cooperation inthe fields of Science and Technology. The Agreement envisages promotion ofcooperation in the fields of science and technology by means of jointidentification of scientific and technical problems, formulation andimplementation of joint research; and facilitating industrial R&D andcatalyzing creation of joint ventures. The Agreement shall remain in forcefor a period of five years.
France is also proposing to create intense cooperative arrangements withIndia between thematic clusters in the areas including Pharma andnano-biotechnology. With a view to support the cooperation it was agreed tocreate a fund jointly with governments and industries from two sides. Inview of the need for enhanced science and technology cooperation between thetwo countries, the cooperation programmes will be periodically reviewed andmonitored by the ministers.
The Cabinet also gave its ex-post-facto approval in July 2006, for signingan agreement in the field of health and medicine between India and Fiji fora period of five years. The Bilateral Agreement will encourage cooperationbetween the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of Indiaand the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Government of FijiIslands in the field of health and medicine on the basis of equality,reciprocity and mutual benefit. The agreement was signed on October 10, 2005during the State visit of the Prime Minister of Fiji Islands to India.
Similar agreements / plan of cooperation have been signed with othercountries like Hungary, Yemen, Seychelles, Tanzania and Austria in the past.India and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) forcooperation in Biotechnology during October 2005. The joint activities shallbe aimed at developing tailor made biotechnology products, processes,techniques and policy matters based on local consultation and local needsinvolving joint research and development activities between India andNetherlands.