India to post scientific counsellors in embassies

New Delhi, Jul 7 (UNI) India will soon deploy scientific counsellors in select missions abroad, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal today said.

The move is aimed at identifying scientific expertise in each country for collaboration. Presently India has scientific counsellors in the US, Germany, Japan and Russia.

''We want to increase the number of scientific counsellors in our embassies abroad,'' Mr Sibal, who last month visited the US, United Kingdom and Mexico to sign agreements of scientific collaboration, told a news conference.

Under an agreement with Mexico, scientists of the two countries will study how to use technology to make water accessible to the people in cities.

The agreement invloves a mega city project on water in the context of the needs of residents of Mexico City, which has a population of 20 million, and Delhi, which has a population of 14 million.

''This project would involve a range of stake holders like private players and NGOs with the objective of delivering water to all,'' Mr Sibal said.

The project will include technological aspects like online inspection to find out where water is wasted during supply and how technology can be used to save leakage.

India and the United Kingdom signed an agreement to upgrade their joint committee on science and technology to a high-level Innovation Council during his visit to the UK.

The committee will have three members from each side. Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister, Prof. CNR Rao leads the Indian members.

India and the United Kingdom are likely to sign ''substantive agreements'' in the field of science and technology when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits the UK in October.

UNI FZ MSJ HT1918