Cabinet nod to agreements on mobility, space, polar science

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ratification of a migration and mobility partnership agreement between India and France to foster mobility of students, academics, researchers and skilled professionals between the two sides.

The agreement was signed in March 2018 during the state visit of the French president to India and is initially valid for seven years.

It incorporates provision for automatic renewal and a monitoring mechanism through a joint working group, an official statement said.

The agreement represents a major milestone in enhancing people-to-people contacts, fostering mobility of students, academics, researchers and skilled professionals, the statement said.

It will also strengthen cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking between the two sides, it said.

The Cabinet also approved an agreement with Mongolia on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful and civilian purposes.

The agreement was signed here on September 20, 2019, during the state visit of the President of Mongolia to India.

The Cabinet was also apprised of an agreement on cooperation in polar science between Ministry of Earth Sciences, India, and Ministry of Education and Research, Sweden.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on December 2, 2019, during the visit of the king of Sweden to India.

Another agreement cleared by the Cabinet relates to enabling energy self-sufficiency for the Indian Railways.

It was signed in December last year with the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom.

The Cabinet also gave its ex-post-facto approval on the Memorandum of Cooperation between Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on cooperation in the field of health. It was signed in November, 2019 during the visit of Bill Gates to Delhi.