Cooperation in Science & Technology

During the 12^th session of Indo-Bulgarian Joint Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation held in Sofia in September, 1998 it was proposed to conclude a new bilateral S & T Cooperation Agreement and formulate a Programme of Cooperation (POC) in Science & Technology in S & T areas other than agricultural research. An Indo-Bulgarian S&T Cooperation Agreement was subsequently concluded in New Delhi during the 13th session of Indo-Bulgarian JCM in November 2000. The Agreement was signed by Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Minister for HRD, S&T and Ocean development from the Indian side and Mr. Ventsislav Varbanov, Minister of Agriculture & Forestry from the Bulgarian side. Following the Agreement, both sides agreed to cooperate in a number of areas and to hold workshops in each others’ countries. The Indian side offered that two senior eminent scientists from Bulgaria may participate in the Indian science Congress which is held in January every year at a pre-decided venue in India.

A Programme of Cooperation (POC) in Science and Technology sector was signed during the visit of the Indian Minister of State for Science and Technology, Shri Bachi Singh Rawat, in April 2002 with the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science. The indicative areas of cooperation under the POC are Information Technology; metal sciences and New Materials; Alternate Renewable Energy Sources including Solar Energy; Geophysical Instrumentation and earthquake Engineering including its forecasting; Food technology; Traditional medicines based on herbs; Laser Science and Technology; Astronomy and Ocean Science & Technology. During the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Science of Bulgaria, Mr. Daniel Valchev, to India in December 2005, Programme of Cooperation for 2005-07 was signed.

During the 14^th session of Indo-Bulgarian Joint Commission held in Sofia in July 2002, it was decided to hold the First session of Indo-Bulgarian Joint Science and Technology Committee in India in October 2002 because of the interest shown by Indian researchers in formulating joint research activities with the Bulgarian specialists. The first meeting of the Joint Science and Technology Committee was held in Delhi in October 2002; the Second Session in Sofia from October 20-23, 2003, the Third Session in New Delhi from November 1-3, 2004, Fourth Session in Sofia from April 3-5, 2006 and fifth session in New Delhi in November 2007. There has been an active exchange of scientists from both the sides under various ongoing projects.

The VIth session of the Joint Science and Technology Committee meeting was held in Sofia on 14 May, 2009 during which the Programme of Cooperation (POC) in the field of Science & Technology for the period 2008-10 was signed. Dr. T. Ramasami, Secretary (DST) signed the POC on behalf of the Government of India whereas Dr. Vanya Dobreva, Deputy Minister of Education & Science of the Republic of Bulgaria signed the POC on behalf of the Bulgarian side. During the meeting, both sides approved a list of 13 new joint projects to be pursued jointly by the Indian and Bulgarian scientists in different areas of science.