INDO-SWISS ACCORD ON CO-OPERATION
IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India and Switzerland
have signed an agreement on cooperation in science and technology
and take it to new heights. Implementation of the agreement will
rest with the Department of Science and Technology of India and
the Science Agency of the Federal department of Home Affairs of
Switzerland. The Accord was signed here yesterday between the
two sides in the presence of the visiting Swiss President, Mr.
Pascal Couchepin and the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
and the Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Murli Manohar
Joshi.
Under the agreement,
the two sides will establish a Joint Committee for realising the
objectives envisaged in the accord. The committee will consider
policy aspects relevant for the agreement and identify areas of
mutual interest and formulate programmes for joint collaboration.
Some of the fields chosen for cooperation include Industry, Agriculture,
and Biotechnology.
Exchange of scientists,
research workers, technologists, exchange of scientific and technical
information, joint identification of scientific and technical
problems, formulation and implementation of research programmes,
also form part of the agreement.
One of the important
ongoing programmes between the two countries, is development of
high yielding, improved varieties of wheat, resistant to fungal
diseases. Another significant project relates to joint research
on ‘Golden Rice’ i.e. a pro-vitamin A rich rice variety. The Department
of Biotechnology and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
are co-partners in this Swiss project.
