Date:08/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/08/stories/2006090809801300.htm

International - India & World

India, China ink pact on science and technology

Ashok Dasgupta

BEIJING : India and China on Thursday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for "useful and purposive" cooperation in Science and Technology with the objective of entering into a strategic relationship in all fields of mutual benefit.

The MoU is valid for five years and extended by another five years unless a written notice of termination is given by either country six months in advance.

The MoU signed here between the Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Kapil Sibal, and his Chinese counterpart, Xu Guanhua, envisages the constitution of a Steering Committee to be co-chaired by the two Ministers. Three members would be coopted by each of the two parties depending on the issues to be discussed. The term of office of the members is to be for five years with the possibility of one extension.

Briefing newspersons , Mr. Sibal said the strategic relationship between the two countries would be based on four pillars — two relating to high technology and two pertaining to public interest — with the foundation being the hardware of China and the software of India.

The areas of cooperation would be identified and a blueprint drawn up before the President of China, Hu Jintao, visits India in November.

Mr. Sibal said that it was decided in principle to utilise the excellent software and human resources that India could offer and marry that with the hardware that could be provided by China.

While India would be able to benefit in the field of material sciences and meteorological services, China would also benefit from the software services that would be on offer.

During his visit and discussions at the National Science Foundation of China, Mr. Sibal also proposed to have a `IC-2' project which would entail India-China cooperation in two projects of mutual interest.

The setting up of a Sino-Indian Nano Science Forum was also discussed and this, Mr Sibal said, would also be realised before the visit of the Chinese President to India.

Citing the areas of mutual interest, Mr Sibal said, these could be in the areas such as climate change, bamboo technology, agricultural sciences, genomics and nano-biotech.

While India would stand to gain from China's expertise in climate change and bamboo technology, India had a lot to offer in farm sciences, considering the fact that the contribution of agriculture in India's gross domestic product (GDP) at 24 per was higher than China's 14 per cent.

Mr. Sibal, however, admitted that while the initiative for cooperation in S and T between the two countries was taken way back in 1988 and revived yet again in November 2004, not much progress has been made "for historical reasons."