Foreign Economic Relations
Economic Division
In the year under review, India faced a challenging international economic scenario. Whereas the global economy had recorded a modest growth of 3% per annum during the period 1994-97, it became widely apparent in 1998 that world economy may be hurtling towards economic contraction and a phase of intense instability. The recent but persistent financial crisis, which first hit East and South East Asia in 1997 and later showed its contagion effect in Russia, Latin America and even US and Europe, had shaken the world out of complacency. Recessionary trends in Japan further compounded the depressing economic and business scenario prevailing in the world today. As the recession spread, the investors shied away from the emerging economies. Even relatively insulated economies such as India and China felt its adverse impact. These events only proved how the economies all over the globe had become inter-linked in an era of globalisation.
The direct impact of these developments on India had been somewhat limited last year. However, since the beginning of 1998, it became apparent that the crisis in these regions had been more deep-rooted than expected. Following four years of impressive performance, India’s industrial and export growth started turning sluggish since 1997-98. Notwithstanding the increasing strains and dampening effect on India‘s external trade sector, macro-economic fundamentals of Indian economy remained strong. Against this setting, ensuring India’s economic security and maintaining the momentum gained in Indian export expansion, FDI and FII inflows, technology transfers and that the confidence in the Indian economy was not eroded, was the major challenge confronting the economic diplomacy of India.
A key role that the Economic Division has been entrusted with and which it has been playing vigorously is the promotion of India‘s economic and commercial interests. The Economic Division interacted intensively with various Ministries, apex chambers of commerce and industry, business organisations, trade promotion councils & agencies and the business community to evolve strategies and contribute to promotion of trade and investment. The Division was associated with a number of economic policy making bodies, both inter-ministerial and public sector undertaking and industry associations. In particular, Economic Division represented MEA on the boards of EXIM Bank, Indian Trade Promotion Organisation, Empowered Committee of Oil and Natural Gas Commission-Videsh Limited, Special Committee of the Reserve Bank of India on Indian Investments Abroad, RITES, WAPCOS, Overseas Construction Council of India, National Centre for Trade Information, etc. This enabled the Ministry to provide not only the political inputs and MEA’s thinking on various subjects but also the regional and global perspectives on various policy issues which have a bearing on the economic interests of India. Having been closely associated with the policy making aspects of trade reforms and liberalisations, streamlining of procedures for promotion of Indian exports and Indian investments overseas, analytical inputs were provided to the nodal ministeries.
Another key role that the Economic Division undertook was to provide a standard backstopping arrangements and a nodal point for addressing the concerns of Indian exporters and industry by providing and seeking timely inputs to and from our Missions. Keeping in view the crucial importance of information dissemination and providing value added information, the Economic Division continued to provide a backup support and information wherewithal to our Missions abroad to enable them to carry out their economic and commercial functions effectively. The Economic Division continued to update its information base on the Indian economy, evolution of trade, economic and investment policies, database of Indian exporters, opportunities for Indian exporters abroad and technology-related aspects by liaising with concerned Government departments and trade information networks in India. Thus the Division could respond effectively and in a timely manner to various economic and commercial queries from the exporters and our Missions abroad. The Indian Missions were also advised from time to time to upgrade their databases and establish connectivity to online databases, develop promotional strategies and undertake large scale information dissemination campaigns regularly so that India’s economic policies and concomitant opportunities reached out to the largest cross-section of the local investors and business community. Missions were continuously urged to improve upon their lead response time in addressing the concerns and interests of Indian business and exporting community. While impressing on the Missions to accord highest priority to economic and commercial work, greater emphasis was placed on effectively projecting India’s image and building up a global India Brand Equity as a competitive economy as well as in a number of niche products, both traditional and non-traditional including financial services and Information Technology sectors so that a major export thrust could be achieved.
Being the export-promotion cell of the Ministry, the Economic Division interacted and rendered inputs and assistance in trade promotion efforts of Government agencies and industry associations in order to evolve a pragmatic approach towards our export promotion efforts and further improvements in our trade promotion strategies. The Division assisted in the efforts of various organisations in promoting the participation of foreign business organisations in Indian trade fairs and Indian business in foreign trade fairs, sector-specific seminars, road shows, buyer-seller meets etc. The Division also provided assistance in facilitating contacts between Indian businessmen and their counterparts in major target countries and where required in match making and joint ventures, penetrating new markets, marketing and trade promotion activities etc. Economic Division was actively associated with the "Made in India" show in South Africa and FICCI/CII exhibition in Oman, which were specifically aimed at showcasing India’s achievements, strengths and potential and promoting Indian brand image abroad. The Division facilitated through contact with foreign Missions in India and Indian Missions abroad and in collaboration with apex chambers the visits of business delegations to and from India. The Indian industry and business community was increasingly associated in various events of G-15, IOR-ARC, BIMST-EC so that eventually there are trade and investment spin offs for India. The Division circulated wide range of useful information from time to time to apex business chambers and our missions abroad. The Division also received a number of trade complaints both from Indian and foreign companies which were promptly attended to in consultation with our Missions and concerned agencies including DGFT.
The Economic Division was involved in processing more than 150 proposals for setting up joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries relating to Indian investments overseas involving over US$ 250 million. Similarly the information on foreign investment regulation from various countries were procured and analysed in order to advise other concerned ministries on the viability of incorporating relevant and competitive aspects in our own policies.
Another important work of the Economic Division was its increasing and active involvement in work relating WTO. The Division provided inputs on a large number of trade related subjects to influence and purse the issues of interest to India. The Economic Division was actively associated in providing inputs and international perspective as well as political economic assessments in deliberations of various joint business councils and joint commission/committees.
The Economic Division has been actively contributing to crisis management as well as damage containment and damage prevention on a number of market access and trade related problems and issues affecting India's exports and imports. Emerging patterns with regard to regional groupings, free trade areas, trade blocs, market access related issues and use of restrictive and protectionist policies by various countries which have an impact on the Indian exports were monitored closely and strategies devised to best cope with non-tariff and technical barriers of various kinds. For instance EU has emerged as the largest user of trade protection instruments during the last 2-3 years on imports from India. In particular Indian textiles, steel products, engineering goods and pharmaceuticals have been subjected to around 25 anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations. Some of the items like unbleached cotton fabric, bed-linen, synthetic fiber ropes had been repeatedly targeted. The defence of such actions called for elaborate steps and extensive lobbying efforts. The Economic Division actively participated in coordinating efforts of the concerned Ministries, Export Promotion Councils, Trade Associations, Indian Missions abroad to take up the issues at appropriate fora to safeguard the interests of Indian industry. As a result of this coordinated action, EU’s anti-dumping case on imports of unbleached cotton fabric from India ended satisfactorily without imposition of any definitive duties. Economic Division was also actively involved in monitoring and analysing the impact of economic sanctions imposed by certain countries after the nuclear tests by India. With regard to child labour issue which is increasingly being used for protectionist purposes, the Economic Division continued in its efforts to project the problem in its right perspective and to dispel the misconceptions and skewed impressions propagated by various vested interests in our major export markets. In another case involving grant of patent by US Patent and Trade Mark Office to an American company on basmati rice, the Economic Division actively participated in an inter-organisational exercise to prevent misappropriation of indigenous biogenetic resources of India by other countries.
Apart from the economic and trade-related activities, the Economic Division also processed the Government of India's nominations for various courses and training programmes offered by Singapore under the Colombo Plan and Thailand and Indonesia under the Technical and Cooperation among Developing Countries.
Multilateral Economic Relations
Introduction
The world found itself in a difficult and uncertain economic environment during the year. What had started off as a liquidity crisis in Thailand in mid-1997 snowballed in 1998 into a loss of investor confidence in emerging markets as a whole, and more specifically in the ASEAN countries, South Korea and in Russia. One country after another experienced a sharp downturn in its stock market and a depreciation of its currency owing to a decline of confidence in the viability of its banks and financial institutions. The vast foreign capital that had made possible the Asian miracle of the 80’s and early 90’s, began to drain out rapidly.
Although largely protected from similar capital outflows, the Indian economy suffered on account of declining demand for its goods and services in South-East and East Asia, Russia and in recession-struck Japan. But despite the uncertain market conditions, Indian exports sustained their growth in the US and other select developed markets, and that in the face of increasingly competition. India’s resilience gives us the confidence that Indian industry will be well-positioned to take advantage of the global recovery when it begins.
Today, governments are being called upon to have a more active economic agenda. The World Development Report of 1997 says that development requires an effective State, one that plays a catalytic, facilitating role, encouraging and complementing the activities of private. Businesses and individuals. The reform agenda is hence not just one of liberalisation and a greater reliance on market forces. It is as importantly a redefinition of the government’s economic role and responsibilities. Driven by globalisation, rapid diffusion of new technologies, and multilateral harmonisation of international economic activity, there are changes continuously taking place in global trade and investment, with both government and business having to respond.
The Ministry has accordingly made use of its vantage position by its outreach with economic agencies both within and outside the country, and thus has been a conduit for the flow of information. Our work with economic ministries and state governments as well with trade and industry associations helped our embassies abroad to project the range of opportunities for foreign investors in India. We have tried to play the role of an informed and committed intermediary helping to interpret the expectations that India and the outside world have of each other.
Our effort has been to interpret change, identify opportunities and anticipate challenges for our industries and companies. Our objective has been to balance the country’s self interest with obligations deriving from our participation in the larger international economic community. Our work, therefore, has been an integral part of India's collective endeavour for commercial and economic development and for a greater Indian presence in the world markets.
Multilateral Economic Relations Division
In the light of these parameters, Multilateral Economic Relations (MER) Division has pursued promotion of India’s relations with international multilateral economic organisations and regional, sub-regional and supra-regional economic and trade groupings.
Given the emerging importance of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Ministry was actively involved in trade policy-making in GOI and in negotiations on various trade issues. WTO issues are an integral and intrinsic part of international relations and impact on our overall economic and political relations with other WTO member countries. Accordingly, important multilateral developments which have a bearing on global trade and commerce, are regularly analysed and monitored. Inputs on various trade policy issues like Investment, Competition Policy, Government Procurement, Intellectual Property Rights, etc. are duly conveyed to concerned GOI Ministries from time to time. Besides theoretical analysis, MEA was also represented at important events like the Second WTO Ministerial Conference at Geneva to ensure that it keeps abreast of the nuances involved in the WTO multilateral negotiations.
India‘s Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN saw many positive developments this year. The Second Meeting of the ASEAN-India Joint Cooperation Committee (AIJCC) was held at Singapore on April 28-29, 1998. India reaffirmed its solidarity with ASEAN in the wake of the financial crisis plaguing the region. Measures outlined by India in this context included Government-to-Government Credit, Exim Bank credit for trade finance, facilities for counter trade, EXIM Bank credit finance for outward and inward investment to and from South-East Asia, feasibility study and consultancy financing by EXIM Bank for infrastructure projects, guarantees and counter guarantees for trade finance, and enhancement of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programmes for ASEAN countries.
As part of the on-going India-ASEAN Cooperation in academic and People-to-People Contacts, the India-ASEAN Lecture Series was initiated in December 1996. As many as five lectures by eminent persons from ASEAN countries were organised between May and August 1998. These included Dr Thaksin Shinawatra, former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr Kavi Chongkittavorn, Executive Editor of "The Nation" (Bangkok), Dr J Soedradjad Djiwandono, former Governor of Central Bank of Indonesia, and Prof Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. From the Indian side, eminent Space scientist Prof U R Rao delivered lectures in Malaysia and Dr R A Mashelkar, Director General of CSIR in Thailand.
A large contingent of scientists was deputed to participate in the Fifth ASEAN Science and Technology Week (FASTW) and Exhibition held at Hanoi, Vietnam from October 12-15, 1998. Besides taking part in the deliberations, the scientists made focussed presentations on the scientific and technological strides made by India. India also put up a stall at the Exhibition where its strengths in Information Technology, Remote Sensing, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology and India's vision 2020 were highlighted.
An India-ASEAN Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Partenariat was organised by FICCI from November 10-11, 1998. The Partenariat was designed to facilitate business linkages amongst Indian and ASEAN SMEs by providing them an opportunity to interact closely and to apprise themselves of mutual strengths and complementarities. In all, 27 SME companies from ASEAN and nearly 200 representatives from Indian companies, participated in this event.
The nascent regional grouping called Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC), launched in June, 1997, registered commendable progress. India participated in the BIMST-EC Working Group meetings, to give shape to emerging initiatives for cooperation. The BIMST-EC Economic Ministers' Retreat held on 7 August 1998 at Bangkok. decided that lead countries would coordinate cooperation in the six priority sectors, viz., Trade and Investment (Bangladesh), Technology (India), Transport and Communications (Thailand), Energy (Myanmar), Tourism (Sri Lanka), and Fisheries (Sri Lanka).
With the Ministry’s support and in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the Confederation of Indian Industry organised a BIMST-EC Tourism Summit at Calcutta from October 30-31, 1998 which was attended by the Tourism Ministers, senior Tourism Officials and travel trade representatives from BIMST-EC countries. It adopted an Action Plan identifying short, medium and long term measures and policies covering areas such as infrastructure corridors, facilitation and promotion measures, declaration of the Year 2001 as ’Visit BIMST-EC Year’, Buddhist Circuit and technical training.
India also participated in the Second BIMST-EC Ministerial Meeting held at Dhaka from December 17-19, 1998. The meeting emphasised the need to take practical initiatives to implement projects in agreed sectors of cooperation. It recommended establishment of multimodal transport linkages, regional cooperation in the energy sector, promotion of tourism and active participation by the private sector for intensifying existing linkages between members. The meeting approved admission of Nepal as an Observer besides evolving general guidelines for admission of new observers and guests. It also outlined future priorities including South-South cooperation, trade facilitation and development of a free trade arrangement enhancing regional complementarities and taking initiatives for making the international economic and trading system more favourable for developing countries.
As in the past, India adopted an active profile in the context of ‘Group of 15’(G-15) activities during the year. It participated in the Eighth G-15 Summit held at Cairo from May 11-13, 1998. The high-level Indian delegation to the Summit was led by the Hon’ble Vice-President. The Summit focussed on two major themes, viz., developments in international financial markets; and developments in the Multilateral Trading System and enhancement of intra-G-15 Cooperation in trade and investment. The Summit examined different perspectives and called for comprehensive and urgent action on preventing the spread of the financial turmoil in East and South East Asia. On the issue of the multilateral trading system, the Summit focussed on evolving common (developing) country positions on various matters to be taken up at the Second WTO Ministerial Conference at Geneva in May 1998, as well as on facilitating a positive agenda for developing countries.
Apart from providing an Indian perspective to the two main themes of the Summit, the Indian delegation also played a major role in focussing Summit discussions on issues like terrorism and bio-diversity. On WTO issues, India emphasized that the pursuit of liberalisation which has become WTO's raison d'etre, was not an end in itself and should meet the core objectives of rapid development, welfare gains and best returns for the extant and potential resources of developing countries. Towards this end, India submitted proposals outlining developing countries' concerns and possible ways of ensuring special and differential treatment to developing countries in all aspects of the WTO agenda and its implementation.
An MOU on Small Scale Industries Cooperation was concluded between India and Egypt under the framework of the SSI Cooperation Project. The business cooperation pursued in parallel with the Summit included the setting up of a G-15 Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. A composite Indian business delegation from the apex Chambers participated in the business workshop. India also exhibited a cross-section of its products under the theme "Modern India" at the G-15 Business Exhibition.
In pursuance of its commitment at the Cairo Summit, India hosted a G-15 Symposium on ‘Special and Differential Provisions for Developing and Least Developed Countries in the Uruguay Round Agreements’ in New Delhi from November 10-11, 1998. The Symposium reiterated that the commitments made in the Uruguay Round Agreements must be fulfilled. The deliberations revealed that there was a common approach with regard to strengthening of certain concessions inherent in the WTO Agreement in the areas of longer transition periods, larger threshold limits, reorientation of 'best endeavour' clauses, linking of S&D treatment to development parameters, improvement of market access for developing countries through S&D provisions, transfer of technology, technical assistance and cooperation.
India also participated in the Ninth G-15 Summit held at Montego Bay, Jamaica from 10-12 February 1999. Hon'ble Prime Minister led the Indian delegation to the Summit. The G-15 Summit Meetings deliberated extensively on issues of concern to developing countries. These included discussions on the current international economic situation including the need for an international consultative process in respect of capital flows, reaffirmation of the importance of a transparent, fair and equitable rules-based multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organisation, reform of the international financial architecture, South-South and intra G-15 cooperation and prospects of undertaking a G-15 – G-8 dialogue in these matters. All such priorities were duly reflected in the Joint Communique issued at the end of the Ninth Summit. In order to be able to cope with challenges posed by globalisation and economic liberalisation and the ongoing financial crisis, members agreed to promote convergence of viewpoints on these issues. They also called for enhanced regional and international cooperation to combat the menace of terrorism.
India’s offer to host a G-15 meeting at an appropriate level in preparation for the Third WTO International Conference was welcomed by the participants at the Ninth G-15 Summit. They also endorsed India’s proposal which suggested adoption of a strategic sectors approach towards South-South cooperation focussing on core areas like bio-technology, information technology and infrastructure development.
India also took active interest in the programmes of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC). It participated in a major Indian Ocean Rim Trade Exhibition organised in Oman (Muscat) from October 10-14, 1998. India also participated in the First Meeting of Experts on Standards & Accreditation from November 9-11, 1998 in Colombo. A high-level delegation was deputed to participate in the First IOR-ARC Senior Trade Policy Officials Meeting held at Perth ( Australia) from December 7-8, 1998.
The Second Ministerial Meeting of IOR-ARC is scheduled to take place in Maputo (Mozambique) in March 1999. A high-level Indian delegation is expected to participate in the meeting. A Seminar on Trade and Investment in IOR-ARC countries, which will be coordinated by the IOR-ARC Chair in the University of Mauritius, is planned to be held alongside the meeting.
India is an active member of the ‘Group of 77’ and participated in the Annual Ministerial Meeting held at New York on 25 September, 1998 which was held against the backdrop of a global financial crisis and prospects of an economic recession. India has taken initiatives on (a) sensitisation and consciousness raising on the gravity of problems and on the systemic crises that need to be highlighted besides highlighting opportunities presented by the situation for developing countries (b) getting developing countries to focus on key issues that they need to stress and negotiate with the developed countries in the financial, monetary and trading system, (c) drawing attention of the North to the key concept of international public good rather than just market forces being an important determinant of international economic policy and order, (d) bringing back the focus on concessional financial flows, more favourable and relatively unhindered transfer of technology and special and differential treatment in trade to developing countries as part of development cooperation agenda, and (e) establishing synergy and connectivity between this agenda and the new liberalisation and globalisation agenda.
As a symbol of its solidarity with Africa, India participated in the Second Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-II) which was held in Tokyo from October 19-21, 1998. About 80 countries and 40 international organisations and the UN Secretary General, participated in the event at which the developmental concerns and priorities of African countries received attention. The need to step up the level of developmental assistance and cooperation with African countries was duly recognised by developed countries. India’s intervention highlighted its special relationship with Africa and commitment to deeper economic cooperation as well as ongoing technical assistance projects in Africa. It recommended adoption of triangular cooperation involving developed countries or international organisations along with the technical expertise of a developing country for projects in Africa.
In keeping with its commitment at the South-South Conference on Trade, Finance and Investment held in San Jose (Costa Rica) in January 1997, India hosted a "G-77 Trade Fair and Trade Conference" in New Delhi in November 1998. The objective was to enhance South-South Cooperation by providing an opportunity for developing business contacts and networking amongst the G-77 countries, and also to create greater awareness for enhancing business opportunities by utilising the vast trade, economic and business potential existing in the South. A New Delhi Declaration setting the agenda for Trade and Investment cooperation for G-77 was adopted.
With the developed world's think-tank and policy consultation body, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), India continued to develop a policy dialogue relationship. It participated in OECD's outreach programmes for Dynamic Non-Member Economies (DNMEs) by deputing experts to attend the OECD Seminars/Workshops on Steel Trade Issues, Benefits of Trade and Investment Liberalisation, Practical Application of Tax Treaties, Agricultural Policies, etc.
Technical Cooperation
The Technical Cooperation Division administers bilateral assistance on a Government to Government basis to 130 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. While most countries in the world either give or receive technical assistance, India is unique in both receiving and giving technical assistance in a major way, the latter through two programmes conducted by TC Division, the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and the Special Commonwealth African Assistance Plan (SCAAP) programme. In this Report, reference to ITEC will also include SCAAP as the two programmes are different only in the budget heads under which accounts are maintained.
The ITEC Programme has four major components:
(1) Training (both Civil and Military)
(2) Projects, including feasibility studies
and consultancy services
(3) Deputation of Experts and
(4) Study Tours for foreign decision-makers to India.
In regard to Civilian Training, 1485 slots were provided under ITEC during this year in 39 prestigious Training Institutions and Establishments (Appendix - XIII) of which 1326 slots were utilised (lists at Appendices - XIV-XV). These slots were for training in various types of courses such as Audit and Accounts, Banking, Diplomacy, Manpower Planning, Parliamentary Studies, Poultry, Rural Development, Small Scale Industries, Computers and Software, Maintenance of Biomedical Equipment, Food Processing Technology etc. During the year, a new subject "English Language for Professional Purposes" was introduced into the Programme and courses in various S&T fields were conducted for Vietnam and Cuba under special Agreements. A special training course was conducted for 25 Zimbabwean Police Officers in computer software. The wife of the Prime Minister of Senegal Mrs Silvie Aicha Loum was trained at the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre, Kannauj and KVIC, New Delhi on production of Agarbatti and Dhoop Batti to enable her to organize Dhoop production centres for unemployed women in Senegal, using locally grown raw materials. Training slot offers to Iraqi nationals under sanction-affected Iraq were increased from 35 to 50 in the current financial year. These offers cover many fields such as agriculture, water management, desert cropping, genetic engineering, tyre industry, telecommunications and several others.
The assistance offered under ITEC is a fully self-contained package inclusive of international air passages, boarding, lodging and training costs etc. Currently, India bears an average cost of Rs.1.25 lakhs on each foreign participant under the ITEC Programme which has benefited over 10,000 nominees of foreign Governments since its inception in 1964. Demands for our training programmes are growing as during 1998-99, 1326 nominees were trained which is the highest number as compared to 1995-96 (970 nominees), 1996-97 (1001 nominees) and 1997-98 (1031 nominees).
Every year ITEC Day is celebrated by the Indian Missions abroad on 15th September. This year the event was also celebrated at Headquarters after a gap of 5 years. The event was attended by about 350 guests consisting of Heads of Diplomatic Missions/other Diplomats of more than 60 countries who are recipients of ITEC assistance, high-level Government officials, representatives of various Training Institutes, media personnel and about 100 trainees both civilian and military trainees who were at that time undergoing training at various Institutes located at New Delhi. The gathering was addressed by the Foreign Secretary who spoke about various activities being undertaken under ITEC Programme and its future orientation. This was followed by a cultural programme presented by candidates from Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan, Mauritius, Uganda.
On December 14-15, 1998, a Conference of the Training Institutes empanelled under ITEC was convened at New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Secretary (ER) Shri S T Devare and addressed by AS (FA) Shri B N Jha. The Conference was the first of its kind organized by the Ministry of External Affairs and was considered timely in view of the growing potential which training and capacity building activities for promoting India's bilateral relations with the developing countries. The Conference was also useful to discuss problems of coordination between our Diplomatic Missions, the Training Institutes and TC Division and many suggestions for procedural improvements emerged from it. There was a consensus that India can be more effectively projected through the ITEC programme as an important training destination for developing countries by streamlining the effectiveness of performance at these three levels. Training Institutes, appreciating the leverage which, having an international profile, can give them to generate important commercial spin-off benefits for themselves, and by extension for the country, were urged to improve their performance under ITEC accordingly.
Military Training is another important task undertaken under ITEC Programme. TC Division is a nodal point for organizing Military Training for nominees of friendly foreign Governments in some of the more prestigious Defence institutions of India such as Indian Military Academy, National Defence College, Defence Service Staff College etc. During this year approximately 198 slots for long and short term training courses were offered under ITEC and approximately 237 slots under Self-Financing Schemes. Some slots were also offered on a reciprocal basis. Appendices - XVI-XIX contain the lists of countries whose candidates were trained under ITEC Programme.
Another important aspect of the ITEC Programme is project cooperation with partner countries. Such cooperation, extended over many years since ITEC was established in 1964, has enhanced India’s image as a country which is generous in sharing her experience and expertise acquired in the past fifty years of her independent existence, with other developing countries. In 1998-99 plans to establish a Plastic Technology Demonstration and Common Facility Centre in a backward region of Namibia by NSIC at a cost Rs. 3.40 crores were finalised, soon after a visit to that country by the Indian Prime Minister Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee. A major project to set up an Entrepreneur and Technical Development Centre (ETDC) at a cost of Rs.13 crores in Dakar (Senegal) launched last year in fulfillment of a G-15 commitment, was executed in considerable measure by HMT (I) despite initial setbacks. The Mini Dairy Plant supplied last year to Kyrghyzstan at a cost of Rs.1.75 crores has gone into production of milk and butter. Plans to send six farmers from Punjab to Burkina Faso for three years to demonstrate Indian agricultural techniques especially for growing rice, were carried further.
In addition to project assistance, the TC Division supplied equipment for upgradation of the Upadhyay Training Centre in Mauritius, irrigation pumps to Uganda, Ambulances and Incubators to the Indira Gandhi Maternity Clinic in Namibia, diesel pumps and sewing machines to Ivory Coast and textile machinery to Vietnam in 1998-99. A list of projects and project-related assistance extended this year to different countries may be seen at Appendix - XX.
As of now, there are 23 experts on long term deputation (from 2 to 3 years) to various countries as advisors in fields ranging from agriculture to medicine, marine engineering, water management, accountancy, fish toxicity, teaching, legislative drafting and in military fields (list is at Appendix - XXI). Seven short-term experts have also been sent to a few countries this year. Over the years, Indian experts have been acknowledged by many developing countries to have done commendable work in building institutional frameworks for self-reliant growth with limited means.
On the recommendations of Indian Heads of Missions, Study Visits by senior level officers and decision-makers are organized every year by the TC Division from various partner countries. Visits, generally in the areas of small scale industries, agriculture, health and education, trade and commerce etc. are an extremely popular method of introducing foreign visitors to different developmental sectors in the Indian economy and polity as they offer a first-hand exposure to Indian economic conditions. Nine study visits took place in the year under review. These include a visit by Prof Alberto Simao, Chairman, National Institute for Development of Local Industry, Mozambique to see the various industries and R&D centres engaged in improving the quality of products of the small-scale units under the supervision of the DCSSI. A four-member delegation from Nairobi University led by Prof D N Kariuku, Chairman, Department of Chemistry visited various Institutions and chemical industries to learn from Indian experience of the interface between academic training and commercial activity in the field of chemistry. Also invited was a three-member delegation from Vietnam headed by Director, Cuu Long Rice Research Institute, Dr Nguyen Van Luat to visit some Agricultural Universities and see some items of agricultural machinery which are manufactured in India. Two more agricultural delegations were invited in response to interest expressed by them in knowing about our Green Revolution – (i) a four-member delegation from Mongolia headed by Mr Y A Balgansuren, Director, Department of Policy Coordination, Ministry of Industry & Agriculture, and (ii) a three-member delegation from Kyrghyzstan headed by Mr Tolobek E Omuraliev, Advisor to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic and Head of the Department of Local Self Government and Agricultural Policy under the Presidential Administration. The visitors were taken to our Agricultural Research & Development Centres in Pusa, Karnal, Shimla, Ludhiana and for discussions with our authorities there. Mr A W Searle, Warden of the Zimbabwe Zoo was invited to interact with the Wildlife Institute in Dehra Dun. Two senior officials from the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation visited India and were shown Doordarshan and AIR facilities with a view to long-term cooperation between India and Namibia in this important sector of information and communication technology. Mr Patrick Mandago, Namibian Chief of Protocol visited to study the functioning of the Protocol Division of the Ministry.
Sometimes, a study visit is arranged to acquire expertise from the visitors as was the case when Mr J R Muller, General Manager of a South African Government-owned Company called Abakor came to India to advise the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on improvements in its abattoirs in Delhi and Aligarh, also during this year.
Under the Aid to Disaster Relief Programme (ADR), TC Division provides humanitarian aid for disaster relief to various countries, in the form of medicines, clothing, food etc. In the current financial year, medicines and foodgrain were sent to Bangladesh for victims of some of the worst floods that the country has known. Afghanistan’s earthquake victims were assisted with medicine, blankets, tents and biscuits. Many other countries such as Comoros, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Peru, Tajikistan and Kyrghyzstan received quantities of medicines and other forms of assistance depending upon their expressed requirements. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean affected Hurricanes George and Mitch respectively were also assisted with small quantities of medicines and surgical instruments under the ADR programme. A complete list of the relief supplied by India under this programme in 1998-99 may be seen at Appendix - XXII.