NEW DELHI: Government has decided that no delegation for scientific conferences abroad will be headed by any minister unless and until there is some absolute necessity for them to engage in some policy discussion.
"Thereafter, in the last eight or nine weeks, all the major conferences abroad have been led by eminent scientists who had something original to present," Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh told Lok Sabha .
Singh said the prestigious Carnegie Conference, which is one of the most prestigious conferences in the field of science and has never been held in India so far, will be held in the country next year.
"Besides, the first ever Commonwealth Conference in the field of science is going to be hosted by India in November," he said during Question Hour.
In addition, during the recent visit of the Japanese Minister of Science, India had proposed to set up a Biotech and Life Sciences Centre in India with Japanese collaboration, he said.
Singh said India has proposed to have a collaboration with the United Kingdom on the 'Newton Programme' with the pre-condition that it will be called as Newton-Bhabha programme.
"I am glad to share with the members that now this will be known as Newton-Bhabha Programme, considering the Indian scientific connection as well," he said.
Referring to participation of private sector in research programmes, the Minister said government has recently launched the first-ever indigenously built research vessel from Goa, which is called 'Sindhu Sadhna'.
"This research vessel is already receiving private offers for utility. So, that is one way of engaging ourselves. We have already received a proposal from a private house for its utility for their research inputs and R&D outputs," he said.
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