Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sept 25: Alexander Povalko, Minister of Education and Science & Technology in the Government of Russian Federation today called on Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy, at his North Block office and discussed various areas where India and Russia could collaborate for scientific education and economic growth.
Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that, broadly speaking, five areas had been identified where India-Russia collaboration could prove effective and fruitful. These include Bio-Medical Sciences, Nuclear Power, Information Technology, Energy Efficiency and Aerospace, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the two countries have shared a traditionally healthy relationship ever since independence and a reflection of this is seen even the areas of Science including Medical science. There have been a number of programmes in which the students from two countries have availed of each other’s educational facilities, he observed.
With the successful launch of Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) on September 24, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India has also joined the august Space Club, of which Russia is already a member along with USA and Europe, and this adds yet another dimension to the potential cooperation between the two countries in the area of Science & Technology. Similarly, Dr Jitendra Singh referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” programme launched today and said that this will certainly attract friendly nations like Russia to explore the possibilities of cost effective manufacturing and export from India.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that India has a huge infrastructure in areas of Bio-medical Sciences, particularly, genomes and stem-cell, and Russian scholars will have an ample opportunity to avail of this. Any future research will prove viable and sustainable only if it has practical applications and generates economy, he emphasized.
The Russian Minister expressed his agreement with the suggestions put forth by his Indian counter-part Dr Jitendra Singh and said that Russia would be happy to develop joint India-Russia Science & Technology centres and work for methods of technology transfer between the two countries. He also offered to invite Indian scholars to avail of the services of newly set up Skoltech University near Moscow.
For a follow up of the meeting between the two Ministers today, a high level round-table conference is being organized in New Delhi tomorrow, for which Dr Jitendra Singh said, he will nominate senior representatives of his Ministry to participate in the dialogue and chalk out future road map.
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