Vladimir Putin taps research minds

Russia will fund 500 young Indian researchers each year for postdoctoral fellowships, thus, joining a growing list of countries that are desperately trying to tap this country's talent to make up for their own shortages in scientific manpower, reports Charu Sudan Kasturi.

Russia will fund 500 young Indian researchers each year for postdoctoral fellowships, thus, joining a growing list of countries that are desperately trying to tap this country's talent to make up for their own shortages in scientific manpower.

HT Image

The proposal from Russia has been approved by India during Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi, sources confirmed to HT.

Russia's search for Indian researchers showcases the dramatic shift in the balance of trained scientific manpower between the countries 54 years after the former USSR helped set up Indian Institute of Technology at Bombay in 1958.

The UGC will identify and select the postdoctoral fellows who will study at select Russian universities.

Russia's economically active manpower is expected to decline by 13% by 2025, and the country has in the recent years increasingly focused on encouraging trained immigrants to join its research institutions.

"Russia's interest only points to a growing trend of countries seeking out the Indian higher education system and its products," UGC chairman Ved Prakash told HT.

Venue for summit changed suddenly
New Delhi: In a rare move, the venue of the India-Russia summit was shifted out of the Hyderabad House in the view of the raging protest against gangrape in the capital.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence at 7 Race Course Road became the venue of the 13th annual summit. Government officials admitted that it was rare occurrence - a summit being shifted out of Hyderabad House, which adjoins India Gate, the venue thronged by scores protesters.

The change of venue also ensured that the summit became a restricted media event. HTC