India, China to combine HW & SW skills

NEW DELHI: India and China have decided to set up a Joint Steering Committee (JSC) to promote collaboration in diverse areas including disaster management, IT, Pharmaceuticals including Indian System of Medicine, non-conventional energy etc.

Listing various possible areas of cooperation, Sibal said that China has made its impact in the global market in the hardware sector and the same is true about India in the software sector. If the two countries synergize their strengths, it will not only benefit the peoples of the two countries but also make an impact in the global market. He also said that there is tremendous scope for cooperation in nano-science, ocean development, polar science, extraction of gas hydrates, marine resources etc.

The proposal for the JSC was mooted by Minister for Science & Technology Kapil Sibal at the official level meeting with the Chinese side led by State Councillor Chen Zhilli. The JSC will be co-chaired by the Ministers for Science & Technology of the two countries and will have its first meeting in Beijing sometime next year after its constitution through bi-lateral consultations.

Lauding the role of scientists for their contribution in the development of India in various sectors, Zhilli agreed with the Indian side that in this era of knowledge economy, cooperation in science and technology between the two most populous countries of the world would be of great significance. She said that besides IT, the two countries should cooperate in biotechnology, nuclear energy, medicine and space research.

The Chinese side were particularly appreciative of the strides made by India in IT, biotechnology and services sectors. They evinced keen interest to know how India has been able to formulate policies in these sectors for their growth.