INDIA URGES
EUROPEAN UNION TO VIEW IPR AS EFFECTIVE POLICY INSTRUMENT
CALLS
FOR CREATING NON-EXPLOITATIVE SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL ORDER THROUGH
S&T
India has urged the
European Union (EU) to appreciate New Delhi’s stand and view Intellectual
Property not as a distinct or self-contained domain, rather as
an important and effective policy instrument relevant to address
a wide-range of socio-economic, technological and political concerns.
Seeking EU’s support in this regard, Dr. Joshi said integrating
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) into India’s own development
priorities is high on her agenda. Dr. Joshi was addressing the
European Research Congress-2002 in Brussels today. This is probably
the first time that a Minister from outside the European Union
has been specially invited to address the congress, a rare honour
to Dr. Joshi for his commitment to development of science as well
as in recognition of India’s technological advancement.
He recalled his statement
made way back in 1996, that in any new formulation or revision
of patent clause, India must continue to exercise her unequivocal
sovereign right to protect public health and nutrition and promote
public interest in sectors of vital importance to socio-economic
and technology development. He pointed out that his view has been
vindicated in the Doha WTO Ministerial Declaration last year,
which said the TRIPS agreement should not prevent members from
taking measures to protect public health. Similarly, the British
Government’s IPR Commission Report, supporting his stand concluded
that higher intellectual property standards should not be thrust
on developing countries, without a serious and objective assessment
of their impact on development and on the poor people. It also
underlined the need for the evolvement of a global IP system so
that the needs of developing countries are incorporated and most
importantly, it should contribute to the reduction of poverty
in developing countries by stimulating innovation and technology
transfer relevant to them, while also making available the products
of technology at the most competitive prices. This being so, it
will not be difficult for the European Union to back India’s stand
on the issue, Dr. Joshi said.
Referring to the
role of science and technology in the development of economies,
Dr. Joshi said a scientific method which is value-based and which
synthesises the spiritual and the moral with the rational, is
needed so that science and technology can play a meaningful role
in building a non-exploitative, peace-loving society. One should
understand the limits to technological growth fuelled by untrammeled
consumerism. This requires action at the level of public policies,
consciousness creation, community control over resources, ethical
regulation and innovative management. The world needs changes
of strategies, a new architecture of governance which is more
democratic and decentralised, alongwith new forms of cooperative
action and sustainable consumption practices ingrained into our
lifestyles. This will also require a complete reorientation of
research and development strategies as well as production methodologies.
Together with Europe, we will be able to make science and technology
a powerful means of creating a humane, non-exploitative and sustainable
social order, Dr. Joshi averred.
He pointed out that
one of the most dangerous consequences of the dichotomous science,
as has been practised so far is responsible for the disturbance
of the delicate relationship between human beings and nature.
Global warming, water scarcity, deforestation, arable land degradation,
desertification, unprecedented concentration of green house gases,
are just some of the consequences of the uncritical acceptance
of the myth of the social, political and ethical neutrality of
science and technology, Dr. Joshi observed. India and the European
Union can together play a pivotal role in warding off many of
these consequences, Dr. Joshi stated.
