Health, Education, Obama՚s Visit, Diaspora, US Needs India and Thorns

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S&T

  • A $ 30 million Science & Technology Endowment for jointly promoting science
  • & technology research, development and innovation were established in July
  • 2009.
  • Collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and NOAA on Tropical Cyclone Research; Tsunami Science - detection, analysis, modeling & forecasting; and INSAT 3D satellite
  • data applications.In November 2010, a ‘Monsoon Desk’ has been established in NOAA for enhancing monsoon forecasting. This will also help in building India՚s capacity in developing and using a coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling system for strengthening the “National Monsoon Mission” .
  • Clean Energy and Climate Change Initiative: An Agreement for Cooperation on Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC) was signed between India and US in November 2010.
  • Department of Atomic Energy and US Department of Energy signed an Implementing Agreement on ‘Discovery Science’ that provides the framework for cooperation in accelerator and particle detector research and development
  • Joint Working Group on Civil Space Cooperation: Major areas include: (i) exchange of scientists; (ii) OCM2, INSAT3D collaboration; (iii) future mission definition workshops; (iv) nanosatellites.
  • (v) carbon ⟋ecosystem monitoring and modelling; (vi) feasibility of collaboration in radio occultation: (vii) CSLA: (viii) international space station; (ix) global navigation satellite systems; (x) formation flying; (xi) space exploration cooperation; (xii) space debris mediation.

Health

  • In July 2009, a ‘Health Dialogue’ was established between the two
  • countries.
  • A Global Disease Detection - India Centre has been
  • established vide a MoU between US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and National Center for Disease Control.

Education

  • India-US Education Dialogue was announced by the two Governments in July
  • 2009
  • “Singh-Obama 21st Century Knowledge Initiative” in November 2009 with funding of US $ 5 million from both sides to increase university linkages and junior faculty development exchanges between US and Indian universities.
  • India and the US have signed a new bilateral Fulbright Agreement.
  • The First India-US Higher Education Summit is proposed to be held in Washington D. C.in October 2011.

Obama՚s Visit

  • Support for India՚s UNSC bid: However, the United States will be closely watching India՚s record in the next two years when India takes its seat at the UN Security Council in the non-permanent category. Therefore, US support should not be taken for granted.
  • DRDO, ISRO and BDL were removed from US entities list.In the last few years, few licenses for export of hi-tech items to India had been rejected by US authorities.
  • Support for India՚s full membership in 4 multilateral export control regimes. Deft diplomacy will be required to make this happen, but US support will count.
  • Deals worth $ 10b
  • MOU on shale gas technology
  • Categorically stated Kashmir is a bilateral issue and US will not impose a solution
  • Endorsed India՚s role in Af as a partner in reconstruction and development. Still On Afghanistan, India and the United States remain apart.

Diaspora

  • As per the 2010 census figures of the United States, the Indian American
  • community has grown to 2.84 million and is the second largest Asian
  • community in the country.
  • Notable contributions in academic, medicine, administration, entertainment, business-executives, entrepreneurship , media, literature, etc.
  • The influence of a large Indian American community is reflected in Congress՚s largest country-specific caucus. More than 100,000 Indian students are attending American universities.

Why US Needs India?

India, the region՚s dominant actor with more than one billion citizens, is often characterized as a nascent great power and “indispensable partner” of the United States, one that many analysts view as a potential counterweight to China՚s growing clout.

Thorns

  • protectionist economic policies of US that could adversely affect bilateral commerce in goods and services. Border security bill will be hiked visa fees, Obamas anti-outsourcing views.
  • U. S. emphasis on nonproliferation and arms control would lead to pressure on India join such multilateral initiatives as the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty
  • deepening relations with India՚s main rival, Pakistan, in ways that could be harmful to Indian security and perhaps lead to a more interventionist approach to the Kashmir problem, unaccountable military aid

Differences over Iran and Myanmar

  • India՚s interests in Af: On Afghanistan, the joint statement (nov, 2010) has expressed the commitment of the two countries to intensify consultation, cooperation and coordination to ensure a stable Afghanistan
  • Getting too close will have an impact on India՚s relationship with key countries like Russia and China with which India is pursuing a multipolar world paradigm and in which the United States is seen as an unstated unilateralist hegemon. Getting too close to the United States may also constrain India՚s strategic autonomy. So long as Pakistan continues to get US arms which can be used against India, there will always be doubts about the strategic content of the partnership.India will remain wary of US-China relations and their impact on India՚s security interests.
  • India՚s FDI limits in retails, financial and insurance sectors.