Germany, India ink pact on science collaboration

Thursday, 07 October 2004, 19:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: India and Germany Wednesday signed an agreement to promote cooperation in various fields of scientific research, ranging from aerospace to nuclear technology. Signed between Germany's leading research group Max-Plank Society and India's department of science and technology, the memorandum of understanding will pave the way for extended collaboration in fields like biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, in India for a two-day visit, and India's Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal were present at the signing ceremony at the India Habitat Centre here. "Here, as well as in our country, people are the driving force for economic and social development. Using this as a forum, our scientists would be able to meet, exchange views, making India and Germany even closer partners," Schroeder said. The chancellor is visiting India with Germany's Education and Research Minister Edelgard Bulmahn and a 15-member delegation consisting of high-ranking scientists. As part of the event, Schroeder and Sibal inaugurated an Indo-German Science Circle (IGSC) where top-ranking scientists and research students of both countries will discuss problems and conduct lectures. A new website "science-circle.org", managed by Germany's education and research ministry and tailor-made for Indian students and scientists, was also launched. "Our bilateral collaboration in science and technology began as far back as 1974. Since then we have come a long way," Sibal said. "The Indian Institute of Technology (in Chennai) was set up with German collaboration in 1959 and the German Academic Exchange Service was started in 1960. "Science and technology is rightly perceived as one of the main pillars of close political, economic and cultural relations," he added.
Source: IANS
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