INDIA OFFERS TECHNOLOGY/VACCINES
TO THIRD-WORLD NATIONS
India has offered
to the third-world nations, supply of vaccines and diagnostic
kits to combat diseases like hepatitis, leprosy, tuberculosis,
cholera and malaria, affecting millions of people. Diagnostic
kits for a number of diseases including HIV/AIDS are also to be
provided to the developing and under-developed countries by India.
Addressing the plenary of the general conference of the Third
World Academy of Sciences here, the Minister for Science and Technology
Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi also offered technology transfer relating
to these for commercialisation in these nations. Dr. Joshi told
them that India is also prepared to facilitate setting up of joint
projects in the desiring countries.
Dr. Joshi said India
can also help them in developing and modifying their traditional
knowledge and grassroot technologies to suit their requirements.
The representatives from these nations wanted Dr. Joshi to supply
them a directory of information relating to technologies developed
by India and the mode of cooperation. They expressed unawareness
about many of the technologies evolved and commercialised by India.
The Minister pointed out that India can provide cost-effective
technologies and products comparable with the best standards.
For instance, an HIV diagnostic kit would cost anywhere between
10 to 20 times in the United States than in India, he averred.
A Delhi declaration
issued at the end of the general conference underscored Dr. Joshi’s
suggestion to the third-world to enhance their investment in research
and development as well as set up in-house R&D facilities.
They agreed with Dr. Joshi that without enhancing the level of
R&D, not much can be achieved. The Declaration hailed India’s
advances in a large number of areas of frontier science and noted
with satisfaction that India stands for south-south cooperation
and balanced and equitable growth of the poor nations. The Declaration
also commended India for emerging as the largest nation to provide
cost-effective, standard education to foreign students from the
developing world. It observed that the Conference successfully
concluded with a direction, a vision and a commitment for the
developing world and the future of mankind.
