Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 11 : Canadian Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Ms Mary Ng today called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh at the Ministry of Earth Sciences headquarters at Prithvi Bhawan and discussed issues related to mutual collaboration between the two nations.
The two Ministers agreed that an India-Canada Bilateral Centre will be set up for dedicated Science & Technology activities between the two countries. He said, India has already established such bilateral centres with other countries like US, Germany, France etc. which are dedicatedly working on various mutually beneficial projects for India and the partner country.
Minister Mary Ng was accompanied by a high level Canadian delegation to review with their Indian counterparts, the progress of bilateral collaboration and cooperation in several key areas.
Both sides identified the proposed areas of collaboration in areas like Green Technologies, Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing, Agriculture and Food Technologies, Digital Transformation, Energy Conservation and Healthcare. Discussions are on to finalise possible terms and conditions for the cooperation.
Welcoming the Canadian delegation, Dr Jitendra Singh referred to special impetus being given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to integrated collaboration in science and technology. He also referred to PM Modi’s decision to provide COVID vaccine to several countries including Canada. The future economy is premised on high quality Research and Innovation and invited Canada to tap the unexplored areas like Ocean and Sea Missions in India, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that renewal of two MoUs between India and Canada is due and is proposed to be signed in the upcoming Joint Committee Meeting in May 2022. The first MoU relates to National Science Engineering Research Center(NSERC) Canada and it is a project based scientific exchange programme along with the development of human resource in basic & Applied Sciences of direct relevance to society. The joint research publications/patents/technologies are developed by the academic Institutes. The main focus of this collaboration is to help the society with Science and Technology.
The second agreement relates to National Research Council (NRC) Canada and it is an Industrial R&D project based on scientific collaboration in which Industries from both the sides jointly develop prototypes and commercialize them. The funding of the project was done by both the sides (Industry as well as two Government). It is a milestone-based activity and the funding was returned back by the Industry as Royalty.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR) planned to set up observational study at Canadian High Arctic Research Station CHARS during 2020-21, but could not do that due to COVID-19. He said, NCPOR is interested to get involved with the following (not limiting) in-house research activities encompassing arctic terrestrial, freshwater and coastal marine environments.
Canadian Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Ms Mary Ng expressed desire to deepen cooperation in areas like bio-technology, renewal energy and Climate Change through applied research mode.
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