New Delhi, 8 Jun: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved several memorandum of understandings (MoUs), including the one between the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) and Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies for joint research on air quality and climate change.
The Nainital-based ARIES functions under the Department of Science and Technology.
The Cabinet also approved the signing of an agreement between the Department of Biotechnology and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), USA to contribute towards the development of new, improved and innovative biomedical tools and technologies to prevent and treat HIV, TB, COVID-19 and other emerging infectious and neglected diseases, according to an official statement.
This MoU will further strengthen relations between India and the US within the framework of international scientific and technological cooperation in fields of mutual interest, it said.
The Cabinet was apprised of an MoU between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of Australia for technical cooperation in urban water management. The MoU has been signed in December last year, the statement said.
The MoU would reinforce bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the area of urban water security.
It would strengthen institutional capacities at all levels for urban water management; improve accessibility, affordability and quality of water and sanitation services; promote circular economy of water and water secure cities; encourage climate resilient water management practices; enhance community participation in water management; and improve social inclusion through initiatives for accessible infrastructure, the statement stated.
The MoU will enable both sides to learn about technological advancements gained by two nations in key areas of urban water security and will promote exchange of learning, best practices and capacity building of institutions, the official statement said.
This will help realise the objective of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, it stated. (PTI)