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and China are strategic partners in the region. With
globalization coming into the fore, and S&T playing
a dominant role in economic development, we are witnessing
rapid strides taking place both in India and China
. With the change in the concept of “planned
economy’ to ‘market economy ‘, the
process of which began in China in late 1970s as compared
to India, which started in early 1990s, significant
developments have been made in China, in relation
to India. There have been systematic efforts in translating
S&T results leading to economic benefits, with
focus on making the R&D results, to reach the
common man, in majority of cases encouraging the participation
of small and medium scale enterprises.
An added feature in the economic development in
China has also been the focused attention being given
to high tech areas with the involvement of multi-national
corporations, simultaneously also creating high technology
zones in different parts of the country. Human resource
development has been another important component in
S&T development. Programmes have been evolved
to train their S&T personnel, at the same time
bringing in experts from outside to contribute to
their infrastructure developmental activities. Looking
into overall S&T developments, and with India
also having attained supremacy in majority of the
fields, it is obvious that there is a need to bring
in together the scientists/ technologists on both
sides to work together in specific topics, by taking
cognizance of the advancements being made in the developed
world.
Cooperation in science and technology with other
countries, both at the bilateral and multilateral
levels, has always been an important facet in promoting
scientific and technological research The Department
of Science & Technology has been/ and is in the
forefront in working out various mechanisms/modalities
through meaningful cooperation ,both with developed
and developing countries. While the focus has been
more towards gaining knowledge from advance countries,
emphasis has been towards providing infrastructure
facilities, providing training opportunities to scientific
and technical personnel, and consultancy services,
to promote cooperation with developing countries.
India and China are typically two countries where,
in so far as S&T developments are concerned, ranks
among developed countries. It is against this backdrop
that both countries, although being developing countries,
should come together to address to global issues more
from the point of view of competing with the developed
world.
Science & Technology cooperation with China
always formed a part of deliberations at the official
level talks since 1982. The signing of an Inter-Governmental
S&T Agreement during the visit of Indian Prime
Minister to China on December 22, 1988 has led to
formalization of procedures in the context of furthering
S&T cooperation between the two countries. This
Agreement provides for the constitution of a Joint
S&T Committee with Secretary, DST as the Co-Chairman
from the Indian side, and the Vice-Minister in-charge
of Science & Technology in the then State Science
& Technology Commission as the Co-Chairman from
the Chinese side (now a separate Ministry of Science
& Technology is in place). Five meetings of the
Joint S&T Committee has since taken place so far,
the last meeting having been held in New Delhi on
February 08, 2002. Programmes of cooperation are drawn
based on the proposals received and the discussions
that takes place at these meetings.
Interaction between India and China has either been
in the form of exchange visits of scientific delegations
/ experts, and through organization of joint workshops
in pre-determined topics Around 50 individual visits
of scientists from the Indian side, and 20 scientific
delegations from Chine have taken place so far. Similarly
Joint Workshops have been held in specific topics
of Biotechnology, Seismology and Earthquake engineering,
to name a few. These visits and workshops have brought
about an awareness on the scientific achievements
taking place in each other’s country from time
to time. Such interactions have indeed led to the
scientific communities on both sides to know each
other and an opportunity to acquaint themselves of
the developments. Typical areas covered advance materials,
biotechnology, astronomy and astrophysics, traditional
medicines, space science and technology, to name a
few.
Besides the arrangement between DST and Chinese Ministry
of Science & Technology, separate working arrangements
are also in existence for some time. These are:
:
Ø Between the Council of Scientific & Industrial
Research (CSIR) and the National Natural Science Foundation
of China (NSFC) with focus on project related exchange
visits, One such project under the CSIR-NSFC arrangement
relate to aeronautical sciences which came out very
successfully with the National Aerospace Laboratory
as the partner institute from the Indian side., and;
Ø Between the Indian National Science Academy
and China Academy of Sciences (CAS). Here again the
focus was on exchange visits of experts mainly with
a view to generate certain R&D projects.
Whilst the former arrangement (CSIR-NSFC) also provide
for organization of joint workshops, the latter arrangement
(INSA-CAS) is basically confined to exploratory visits
of senior scientists, also involving visits to some
of the other premier research institutes in each others’
country. Added to these, separate arrangements also
exists with the Department of Space and the Ministry
of Agriculture with corresponding agencies on the
Chinese side.
Present Status
The Programme of Cooperation framed at he 4th meeting
of Joint S&T Committee, which took place in Beijing
during September 1999 provides for exchange visits
of scientists under 3 specific modalities viz., i)
Project Exploration Experts Exchange Programme (PEEP);
ii) Scientists/Researchers programme (SRP) and iii)
Joint R&D projects (JRP). Specific areas were
identified, viz., in the fields of advance materials,
biotechnology, information technology, high energy
physics, astronomy and astrophysics, to name a few.
Apart from the identified modalities, specific provisions
were made for organization of joint seminars/workshops,
as well as for participation of scientists in international
conferences held in each others’ country on
a regular basis. It was agreed that 80 man weeks (for
PEEP programme) 30 man weeks (for study visits of
scientists/researchers), and 10 projects (joint R&D
mode), and 10 scientists each year ( for participation
in international conferences ), will be set aside
for such visits.
Also, significant developments have also been in
the form of visits of Secretary, Department of Ocean
Development; Secretary, Department of Biotechnology
and Secretary, Department of Science & Technology
to China to have policy level discussions in thematic
subject areas. These have resulted in working out
MOUs in specific topics, namely, I) ocean sciences,
ii) biotechnology.
Separate MOUs have also been worked out with the
Chinese Academy of Sciences and the State Administration
of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA). Another MOU with
National Natural Science Foundation of China will
specifically address to cooperation in Basic Sciences
research.
While the MOU with Chinese Academy of Sciences will
cover possible institutional tie-ups in specific thematic
subject areas, addressing to applied sciences and
technology, the MOU with SAFEA will be basically to
invite experts on the other side to assist in various
infrastructure developmental activities in other country.
Steps are under way to operationalise the various
MOUs agreed upon between the two sides.
Another outcome following the visit of Secretary,
DST to China relate to the organization of a joint
workshop on natural disaster mitigation in India.
A 10 member Chinese delegation from the State Seismological
Bureau of China participated in the deliberations
resulting in working of a set of recommendations for
being followed up further.
Briefly, following the 4th Meeting of the Joint S&T
Committee, significant developments have been in the
form of visits of senior level delegations/ experts,
On the positive side, the visits of Secretary level’
delegation have further brought about conclusion of
with specific emphasis to promote basic sciences research,
applied sciences research and technology, and consultancy
services. To recapitulate, following MOUs are in place,
· MOU between DST and State Administration
of Foreign Expert Affairs (SAFEA), addressing to personnel
exchange programme for participating in infrastructure
development in each other country, including economic
sector, viz. power, highways, engineering etc. –
CONCLUDED.
· MOU between DST and Chinese Academy of Sciences
addressing to cooperation in Applied Sciences &
Technology – CONLUDED.
· MOU between DST and National Natural Science
Foundation of China basically to promote basic research
– draft since finalized and pending signature.
· MOU between DOD and China State Oceanic
Administration focusing on cooperation in Oceanic
Science and Technology
· Work plan between DBT and China Ministry
of Science & Technology for cooperation in specific
areas of biotechnology.
Implementation schedules of these MoU’s will
be worked out during the meetings of the respective
working groups. Some of the modalities as reflected
in the Working Group Report for the X Five Year Plan,
namely, Fellowship Programmes, R&D Projects, Seminars/
Workshops, Training programmes, creating centres of
Excellence, consultancy services, etc., will be addressed
specifically under each of these arrangements.
The 5th and the last meeting of the Joint S&T
Committee which took place in New Delhi during February,
2002 has once again reiterated the importance of continuing
of the joint mechanisms, as was agreed upon earlier.
A number of proposals (around 80) were exchanged with
an understanding that these will be further evaluated
by both the sides, to arrive at the number of proposals
that would get support during the implementation of
the programme. From the Indian side, around 20 proposals
falling under the areas of advance materials, seismology
and earthquake engineering have been communicated
to the Chinese side after appropriate evaluation.
Similarly, a few proposals were taken up by the programme
evaluation committee and due recommendations conveyed
to the Chinese side for further follow-up.
For further details please contact:
CR MURTY
Director/ Scientist ‘F’
International Division
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