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Pact
on New, Larger Indo-US
Educational Exchange
Programme
An agreement between
the Governments
of the United States
and India for financing
certain educational
exchange programmes
has been signed
recently by Foreign
Secretary Shivshankar
Menon and US Ambassador
David C Mulford
in New Delhi.
This Agreement is
expected to give
a further boost
to the strengthening
of educational exchanges
between India and
the US.
The Agreement supersedes
the Fulbright Agreement
revised in 1963
(after it was first
signed in 1950 between
Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru and the then
US Ambassador to
India Loy Henderson).
Under the new Agreement,
both the governments
shall henceforth
implement the scholarship
programme as full
partners and increase
by 100 percent the
total scholarship
amount awarded annually
- to US$5 million.
At present about
100 Indian students/
researchers visit
the US from India
and a 100 US awardees
visit India each
year under the Fulbright
Programme. Under
the latest Agreement,
these numbers would
approximately double.
The new Agreement
provides for expansion
of the existing
programme with,
for the first time,
(i) a direct financial
contribution by
India, (ii) India
co-chairing the
Board of Directors
of the Foundation
and (iii) participating
equally in policy
and decision-making
on the exchange
of Indian and US
scholars under the
India-US programme.
The Foundation will
now be called the
“US-India
Educational Foundation”
awarding “Fulbright
Jawaharlal Nehru
Scholarships and
Grants”.
The programmes of
the Foundation will
continue to finance
(i) studies, research,
instruction and
other educational
activities of/for
US citizens and
nationals in India
and Indian citizens
and nationals in
US schools and institutions
in USA, (ii) visits
and exchanges of
students, trainees,
teachers, instructors
and professors and
(iii) other related
educational and
cultural programmes
and activities.
Both Governments
have agreed to endeavour
to see that the
Foundation's programmes
of activities, research
and studies will
complement the bilateral
initiatives announced
by the US and Indian
Governments on July
18 2005 and March
2, 2006 in the areas
of agriculture,
science and technology,
sustainable development,
clean and efficient
energy, environment,
climate change,
democracy and capacity
building in emerging
democracies and
global issues of
common concern -
among others - and
create further awareness
and understanding
of India in the
USA and vice versa,
strengthening the
'knowledge' linkages
between the people
of the two countries.
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