Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, today launched a joint Indo-Canadian programme focusing on “clean water” technologies.
During his meeting with the Canadian Minister for International Trade, Ed Fast and the Canadian Minister for National Revenue, Kerry Findlay, who called on at his Anusandhan Bhawan office here today, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it was a matter of great satisfaction with a sense of achievement that just about two months back he had mooted the idea with the Canadian High Commissioner when the latter called on him and today within this short period, we are able to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of two senior members of the Canadian Council of Ministers.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the new programme will be pursued through a joint collaboration between the Department of Science & Technology under his Ministry and the National Science and Engineering Council of Canada. This joint venture would enable building up of ‘Safe and Sustainable Infrastructure’ and ‘Integrated Water Management’, thus addressing the vital aspects related to effective water management and clean water supply, he added, and observed that today’s joint declaration is a way forward to the recent joint call by India and Canada to work towards the goal of “Water for Health”.
He said that while on the one hand this new initiative is in keeping with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s “Clean River Mission” and “Clean Ganga Mission”, on the other hand this joint participation will help develop a value based relationship and also enable to promote industrial research & development (R&D) projects with application potential through participation of scientific institutions and industrial units.
Dr Jitendra Singh further informed that the Department of Bio-Technology under his Ministry is already, in cooperation with Canadian agencies, working on a number of projects to develop a software product for non-invasive detection of tumours using MRI and PET images. This will also contribute in making India a manufacturing hub for affordable and innovative products taking cue from Prime Minister’s widely acclaimed “Make in India” call.
Canadian Trade Minister, Ed Fast announced the hosting of India-Canada Science & Technology Meet in his country next year during spring season and also offered to provide all help in India’s Clean River Mission.
Other members of the Canadian delegation who accompanied the two Ministers included Nadir Patel, incoming High Commissioner of Canada in New Delhi, Bob Dechert, Parliamentary Secretary, Canadian Ministry of Justice, Lise-Ann Jackson, Director Operations, Rosaline Kwan, Senior Trade Commissioner and Tina Shih, Trade Commissioner while on the Indian side, the Minister Dr Jitendra Singh was accompanied by Dr Arabinda Mitra, Advisor & Head, International Cooperation (Bilateral) and Dr Renu Swarup, Scientist ‘H’ & Senior Advisor of Ministry of Science and Technology.
Follow our WhatsApp channel