India, France ink 14 pacts for cooperation various fields
India and France have singed 14 pacts for enhancing the bilateral cooperation various fields including defence, space, railways, education etc.
These agreements were signed between the two countries after extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande.
Signed Agreements are
- Defence: MoU on purchase of 36 Rafale Aircrafts.
- Space: Implementation Arrangement between ISRO and CNES on hosting Argos-4 Payload onboard Oceansat-3 satellite of India.
- Implementation Arrangement between ISRO and CNES on a future joint Thermal Infrared earth observation mission.
- Letter of Intent (LoI) on France’s (CNES) participation in India’s (ISRO’s) next Mars Mission.
- Railways: Joint Venture Shareholding Agreement between Indian Railways and Alstom for production of 800 electric locomotives in Madhepura plant in Bihar.
- Agreement between Indian Railways and French Railways (SNCF) for joint feasibility study for the renovation of Ambala (Haryana) and Ludhiana (Punjab) railway stations.
- Food safety: MOU between Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and ANSES in food safety.
- Public Administration: Partnership Agreement on Cooperation in Public Administration between Union Ministry of Personnel & Public Grievances and France.
- Cultural exchange: Declaration of Intent (DoI) for conducting Bonjour India (French festival) in 2017 and Namaste France (Indian festival) in 2016,
- Cultural Exchange Programme between both countries for the period 2016-2018
- Science & Technology: Arrangement for establishment of an Indo- French Ministerial level Joint Committee on Science & Technology.
- Education: MoU between IIT Mumbai and Thales Systemes Aeroportes for Industry Sponsored Ph.D (Doctorate) Fellowship.
- Cooperation Agreement for joint research, teaching, exchange of personnel etc between IISER, Pune and ENS de Lyon (France).
- Agreement of Cooperation in the field of Higher Education & Research between IIT Mumbai and CNRS, TB, UBO, UBS,ENSTA Bretagne,ENIB (French Universities).
Apart from signing these agreements, both countries also discussed on ways to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism, security and civil nuclear energy.
Month: Current Affairs - January, 2016