By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JULY 23, 2014: FRENCH Ambassador Francois Richier called on Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS in Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space & Atomic Energy, here today and expressed his Government's desire to work in close collaboration with the Indian Government in different areas including Science and Technology.

Responding to the French Ambassador, Dr Jitendra Singh said India has all along shared a consistently healthy relationship with France regardless of the geo-political situation at any given time, and proposed a new innovative idea of having a “Joint Indo-French Science & Technology Council.”

Dr Jitendra Singh accepted the French Ambassador's suggestion to set up a Pasteur Institute in India which would be funded by the French Government. He also referred to two joint satellites namely Megatropic and Saral which are already in place and said the joint scientific collaboration between the two countries can also be extended to the field of Medical Science particularly the research on metabolic diseases and Diabetes.

Referring to the various joint training programmes between the two countries, Dr Jitendra Singh expressed satisfaction at the recent launch of “Raman Charpak” Fellowship for exchange of doctoral students on annual basis between the two countries.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the Ministry of Science and Technology has opened up new areas of research and scientific work as a part of which, in the years to come, not only young Indian scientists will be accorded fellowship to work with some eminent French scientists but French scientists will also be offered opportunity to visit India and benefit themselves from the enormous research potential available in this country.

As a part of the new Government's mission to use Science and Technology as a medium of social transformation, Dr Jitendra Singh said closer collaboration with progressive countries like France can also help to bring about greater harmony among diverse societies in order to be compatible with the requirements of a global world.