India in Global Science

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in 1967 and in 1996, ASEAN-India Science & Technology (S&T) Collaboration formally started with the establishment of ASEAN India S&T working group (AIWGST). Initially, the collaborative S&T projects and activities between India and ASEAN were supported through ASEAN India Fund (AIF) but in 2008, a dedicated ASEAN India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF) with an equivalent amount of US $ 1 million was established jointly by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India to support Research & Development projects and associated project development activities. 

The major scientific activities/ program supported under AISTDF include ASEAN-India Collaborative R&D through Projects, ASEAN-India Research & Training Fellowship for ASEAN Professionals, Participation of ASEAN School Children in National Children Science Congress, ASEAN-India Innovation Platform, Partnership Development Activities namely workshops, seminars, training programs, technology exhibitions/Fairs etc., S&T Information dissemination and services, ASEAN-India S&T Digital Library etc.

The projects and scientific activities supported and implemented under ASEAN India S&T program include those on Extent of Transfer of Alien Invasive Organisms (Nuisance) in South/South East Asia Region by Shipping, Analysis of Chemicals and Biological Contaminants in Raw and Processed Products for ASEAN Countries, Technology Mission on Functional Food, Renewable Energy, Marine Biotechnology, Quality System in Manufacturing etc. 

BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising seven member states lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. It includes five Member States from South Asia namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, along with Myanmar and Thailand from Southeast Asia. 

The objective of creating this alliance is to harness shared and accelerated growth through mutual cooperation in different areas of common interests by mitigating the onslaught of globalization and by utilizing regional resources and geographical advantages. 

BIMSTEC has identified 14 priority areas of mutual cooperation where a member country takes lead. India is the lead country for Transport & Communication, Tourism, Environment & Disaster Management and Counter Terrorism & Transnational Crime. The ‘Science & Technology’ area is lead by Sri Lanka and the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India is the nodal point for this sector from Indian side.

BRICS cooperation is aimed at complementing and strengthening existing bilateral and multilateral relations among member countries. At the previously held Summits BRICS Leaders agreed to establish a strategic framework to address the common global as well as regional socio-economic challenges, utilizing experiences and complementarities in STI and co-generate new knowledge and innovative products, services and processes.

The MOU on STI Cooperation adopted in 2015 is guiding overall cooperation covering sustainable agriculture, food security, natural disasters, water resources and pollution treatment, new and renewable energy, energy efficiency, space research, geospatial technology, medicine and life sciences, new materials and nanomaterials, photonics, information and communication technology, ocean and polar sciences, etc.

The BRICS STI Framework Programme aims to support excellent research on priority areas which can best be addressed by a multinational approach. The BRICS Young Scientist Forum Secretariat was established in India and is coordinated by DST, Govt of India. It is becoming an effective platform to network young creative talent. The BRICS Young Scientists Conclave provides these young researchers unique opportunities to discuss pressing problems of the society such as affordable energy solutions, affordable health etc. and their solutions through scientific exploration and technological innovations.

The India-EU Science & Technology (S&T) Cooperation is guided by principle of parity, symmetry, sharing of IPRs (Intellectual Property Rights) and co-investment of resources including funds. The India-EU S&T Cooperation is steered by India-EU S&T Ministers and India-EU Joint S&T Steering Committee. The India-EU Joint Declaration on Research and Innovation was signed in 2012 during 12th India-EU Summit in New Delhi which gave thrust to resolving societal challenges in the field of health, water, energy, bio-economy through research and innovation.

Since 2001, several India-EU R&D projects have been implemented with the funding of 46.5 Million Euros by European Commission and European Union Member States that has been matched by Ministry of Science & Technology (DST, DBT). These projects are in areas of Computational Science, Solar Energy and Smart Grids, Wastewater Treatment and Drinking Water Purification, Biotechnology, health, Bio-based Energy, Bio-economy, among others. India-EU Thematic Workshops have helped in exchanging state-of-the-art knowledge and networking of research institutions/ scientist. 

The projects have led to generation of critical mass of researchers and joint scientific publications in frontier areas of S&T. An implementation arrangement was signed between the Science and Engineering Board (SERB) of India and European Commission to provide opportunities in Europe for Indian researchers and stimulate co-knowledge through co-learning and mentoring. Thus students and researchers supported by SERB would get the opportunity to visit Europe for 6-12 months and team up with the European Research Council (ERC) supported project. 

G20 consists of Heads of the States of 19 major economies namely G8 (The Group of Eight i.e. highly industrialized nations - France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Japan, United States, Canada, and Russia) + BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) + Australia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea + EU (European Union). In 2016, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) was included in the agenda of G20 following the proactive initiatives by India and other developing countries. 

A 'G20 Blueprint on Innovative Growth' and A 'G20 Innovation Action Plan' was later endorsed. The deliberations were upon key issues such as (i) Policy and Practices on Innovation-driven Growth (ii) Innovation & Entrepreneurship (iii) Priority Areas and Modalities of STI Cooperation and (iv) Science and Technology Human Resources and Innovative Talent. The participants shared their country’s STI policies, programmes, challenges and future plans and emphasised on open science, creation of new knowledge and research infrastructure, promoting PPP (Public Private Partnership) and building an ecosystem to support innovation and entrepreneurship and development of human resource especially skill development, and inclusion of marginalised, young and women in STI. The G20 maintains close association with many International Organizations and also has outreach groups. Interestingly, Science20 (S20) platform has been created in 2017. 

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) comprising of eight Member States viz Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka was established in 1985. The objectives as outlined in the SAARC Charter are: to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials; to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's problems; to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries; to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interests; and to cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.

The areas of cooperation include: Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Security; Environment, Natural Disasters and Biotechnology; Economic, Trade and Finance; Social Affairs; Information and Poverty Alleviation; Energy, Transport, Science and Technology; Education, Security and Culture, Human Resource Development and Tourism, among others. The First Meeting of the Ministers of Science and Technology was held in September 2008, at New Delhi, wherein the Action Plan on Science and Technology was adopted. A number of short-term activities have been undertaken as a follow-up to the Action Plan. These activities were aimed to promote cooperation as envisaged in the Action Plan on Science & Technology titled ‘Themes for Cooperation’.

TWAS (The World Academy of Sciences) is an international, non-governmental scientific professional body based in Trieste, Italy. It is functioning from 1985 onwards for the advancement of science in developing countries. TWAS works to support sustainable prosperity through research, education, policy and diplomacy. India is a founding member. TWAS has 1000 Fellows from 80 countries. It promotes south-south cooperation for capacity building, excellence and recognition of talent toward advancement of sciences in developing countries.

The Department of Science & Technology (DST) on behalf of India contributed to TWAS Endowment Fund totalling US $ 1 M (currently TWAS Endowment Fund totals to US $ 17 M contributed by 20 developing countries). India is amongst the top three contributors to TWAS Endowment Fund. India has served as the President of TWAS during 2000-2007 and hosts one of the 5 TWAS Regional Offices for South & Central Asia at Bengaluru.
DST and TWAS signed Program of Cooperation (PoC) for S&T cooperation with budgetary allocation of US $ 1 M for 5 years which focuses on nurturing Next Generation Scientists & Technologists and Science Diplomacy. DST's Pan Africa Doctoral Fellowship (100 over 5 years) at Indian Universities is to be facilitated under DST-TWAS PoC.