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19-May-2023: India calls upon the countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations to join hands for enhanced collaboration in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh called upon countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations to join hands for enhanced collaboration in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Addressing the Seventh Session of the Heads of Ministries and Agencies of Science and Technology of the SCO Member States, as representative Minister of the host country India, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ready to work closely with other member countries of the SCO to jointly address the emerging challenges of the Eurasian region. The Minister appreciated the participation and the overwhelming efforts of each of the Member States to enhance the cooperation among SCO Member States.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that SCO has emerged as a vital cog in transforming the multilateral cooperation in the Eurasian region in the past two decades of its existence, and India attaches special importance to SCO in harnessing this crucial cooperation in the region.

The Minister mentioned that SCO countries are exposed to identical challenges such as ensuring food, challenges emerging due to climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, affordable healthcare, environmental issues and energy access for its people. In order to resolve these challenges, it is imperative for us to join hands to innovate affordable scientific solutions, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the global scenario of the economy. Science and technology has played a greater role in global economic recovery. The SCO scientific community needs to cooperate in the field of technology-based solutions for social and economic challenges.

The Minister said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Govt. of India has focused on innovative interventions for affordable healthcare and by 2047, India aims to be one of the world's top markets in medical devices. India is moving along the mantra emphasized upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, and Jai Anusandhan,’ which essentially believes in coordination of various sectors to make India a global centre of research and innovation.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that during the last seven years, India’s expenditure of R&D has almost doubled. In this year's budget, the Government has allocated about Rupees 16,360 Crore (US$ 2.20 billion) for the Ministry of Science and Technology. This apart, the Government of India has recently embarked upon the creation of a National Research Foundation (NRF) with substantial funding to promote translational and interdisciplinary research in addition to basic R&D activities.

Following consistent thrust towards research and innovation, India has climbed to 3rd position in scientific publication as per NSF database. During the last 8 years, the number of registered start-ups has grown from a mere 400 to an astounding 97,000. It has also reached 3rd Position in terms of number of PhDs, in size of Higher Education System; as well as in terms of number of Start-ups, the Minister said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Government of India, in the recent past, have launched several flagship initiatives such National Mission on Cyber Physical Systems; Quantum Computing; National Mission on Supercomputing, Deep Ocean Mission etc. to build scientific leadership in the emerging areas of science.

The Minister reiterated that India’s commitment to environmental and climate issues remains steadfast. With the launching of the National Hydrogen Energy Mission and several such initiatives India is progressing ahead to meet its commitment at COP 26 of achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and fulfilling 50 per cent of energy requirements by utilising renewable energy by 2030.

Dr Jitendra Singh expressed the Government of India’s commitment to work closely in all three dimensions–Science, Technology and Innovation in a balanced and integrated manner. All our citizens, in all parts of respective territories, deserve to fully enjoy the benefits of Science, he said.

The Minister underlined the importance of the implementation of S&T mechanism of Science and Technology for sustainable development and improving the quality of life of the people and for reinforced efforts for its effective implementation.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that India has always expressed a deep desire to strengthen cooperation within SCO counties in this key sphere of Science, Technology and Innovation which directly impacts the welfare and progress of all our peoples.

The Minister concluded by saying that India whole-heartedly appreciates the participation and the overwhelming efforts of each of the Member States to enhance the cooperation among SCO Member States. He said that India would support SCO efforts in developing innovative and inclusive solutions to promote sustainable development within the Eurasian region. India looks forward to working closely with all the Member States to reach a consensus on these initiatives.

It is pertinent to mention that the SCO has emerged as a key regional organization in the Eurasian space in the past two decades of its existence, and India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateral cooperation in the region. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation consists of approximately 42% of the world’s population, 22% of its land area, and contributes 20% to the global GDP.

11-May-2023: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Startup Forum 2023

After two successful editions in virtual mode, Startup India, Department of Promotion for Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce organized the third edition in the form of first-ever physical Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Startup Forum in New Delhi recently. The engagement aimed at expanding the startup interactions amongst the SCO Member States, nurturing the spirit of innovation, generating more employment and encouraging young talent to build innovative solutions.

The forum witnessed physical participation from SCO Member States including a delegation of government officials, private industry players, incubators and startups. Union Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Som Parkash delivered the keynote address highlighting the role of Startup Ecosystem in boosting the economy of a nation. Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Smt. Manmeet Kaur Nanda addressed the delegation about India’s startup journey and initiatives for promoting startups by the Government of India.

This engagement focused on the spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship. It aimed at promoting innovation development, particularly through the creation of common platforms and the facilitation of ideas and best practices among the SCO Member States. Various startup-to-startup bilateral meetings were conducted in promoting and achieving this agenda.

In addition, the delegates also attended a workshop conducted by Startup India on the ‘Role of Bilateral and Multilateral Engagements in developing startup ecosystem’. The workshop included an interactive session to understand various models of engagements that can be undertaken to develop closer ties between these nations and boost the startup ecosystem in SCO nations.

Later, the delegation visited Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, where a startup showcase was organised. The participants visited the facility to receive first-hand experience of the Indian startup ecosystem. During this tour, the participants were equipped with the know-how of entrepreneurship in India and opportunities for expanding their businesses to India. The incubator visit also focused on highlighting the nuances of funding, mentorship, and opportunities provided to support startups at the scaling stage in India.

By leading such engagements, India undertook an opportunity to share the opportunities of expanding the innovation footprint, knitting the whole ecosystem together and inspiring other SCO Member States to take up similar programs.

Previously, Startup India had organized various initiatives for SCO Member states including:

  1. SCO Startup Forum 2020: The SCO Startup Forum laid the foundation for multilateral cooperation and engagement for startups among the SCO Member States.
  2. SCO Startup Forum 2021: The two-day Forum was held virtually through a customized platform representing the Indian culture in augmented reality. SCO Startup Hub, a single point of contact for the SCO startup ecosystem, was launched in this forum.
  3. Focused Mentorship Program: A 3-month long virtual mentorship series ‘Starting-Up’ was organized for the nominated startups, to build capacity among the SCO Startup founders.

26-Apr-2023: XIX SCO IBC Council Meeting held in Goa

Under the chairmanship of India, the XIX Council Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Interbank Consortium (SCO IBC) was held today in Goa. The meeting saw participation from representatives of member banks including Development Bank of Kazakhstan, China Development Bank, RSK Bank (Kyrgyzstan), Habib Bank Limited (Pakistan), VEB.RF (Russia), Savings bank of the Republic of Tajikistan Amonatbonk, and National Bank for Foreign Economic Activities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In his address as the Chair of the Meeting, Shri P.R. Jaishankar, Managing Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), highlighted India's achievements as the fifth largest economy in the world and its continued rise as a strong and vibrant democracy. He mentioned that India's GDP growth in 2022 stood at 6.8%, outperforming major economies like the US, United Kingdom, and Europe. He also highlighted India's rapid digitization of the economy, sustainable development efforts, and significant growth in exports. India is keeping pace with Sustainable Development while building infrastructure projects, he added.

Shri Jaishankar proposed four areas of cooperation for SCO IBC Members:

  1. Expansion of cooperation: Efforts to be made towards taking initiatives to further expand cooperation among member banks.
  2. Exchange of experience and skills: Emphasis on exchange of experience, skills, and personnel training among SCO IBC Member Banks, building on positive strides already made in this direction.
  3. Electronic Collection of signed documents: Support for the initiative to form an Electronic Collection of the SCO IBC signed documents for the 20th anniversary of the Consortium.
  4. Strengthening partnerships: Encouragement for member banks to strengthen partnerships within the framework of SCO IBC.

Vivek Joshi, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, highlighted India's economic resilience, robust financial infrastructure, and financial sector reforms that have supported India's growth story. He mentioned the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched as the National Mission on Financial Inclusion in 2014, as a notable initiative to extend the reach of financial services to the unserved and underserved sections of society.

The SCO IBC Council meeting also focused on the increased sensitivity towards climate change and the need for sustainable development. India's commitment to combat climate change was highlighted, including the pledge by the Prime Minister of India to reduce carbon emissions, achieve net-zero carbon emissions target by 2070, and become a leading producer and supplier of Green Hydrogen in the world.

The XIX Council Meeting of the SCO IBC concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen cooperation among member banks, exchange of experience and skills, and support for sustainable development initiatives. The proposed SCO-IBC Chair for the year 2023-24 is the ‘Development Bank of Kazakhstan’.

3-Apr-2023: Twentieth Session of Culture Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Member States held virtually

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region Shri G. Kishan Reddy, hosted the 20th Session of Culture Ministers’ Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States through video conferencing on 3rd April, 2023.

The Culture Ministers of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting.  The Culture Ministers of Member States of SCO expressed their views for enhancing cooperation in the field of culture within the SCO framework in the purview of the Agreement between the governments of the SCO member states on cooperation in the field of culture and other such agreements under SCO framework.

In his opening address, Minister of Culture, Shri G Kishan Reddy mentioned the historical and cultural linkages among SCO Nations.  He cited the importance of cultural collaborations and dialogue in propagating peaceful coexistence through mutual respect, diversity and inclusiveness. The Minister launched a specially curated digital Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO countries on the occasion.

Citing the aptness of India’s theme of SCO Chairmanship ‘SECURE - Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environment’, the Minister stated that Culture lies at the heart of this theme as a binding force that directly contributes towards achieving all these targets. It is only through collectively establishing a ‘Fair and SECURE Culture for LiFE” that we can constructively contribute for overall prosperity in the region.

He appreciated the participation of SCO nations including observer states and dialogue partners in the recent Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO held on 14-15 March 2023 in New Delhi.  He highlighted the teachings of Buddha and emphasized the need of these values and practices to be adopted to renew trans-cultural links and shared histories and traditions of SCO nations.

At the end of the meeting, the Protocol was adopted and signed by all the Ministers of Culture of the Member States of SCO.

India became full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in June, 2017.

India has hosted two SCO Senior Culture Officials Meeting on 3.2.2023 and 31.3.2023 in virtual format to discuss and formulate the papers for the SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting.   M/o Culture hosted the Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO Member States, Observer States and Dialogue Partner on14-15th March, 2023, in New Delhi.  The Buddhist scholars and delegates from SCO countries participated in the Conference.

During the ongoing "SCO Council of Heads of States" Presidency of India, SCO aims at advancing the theme of ‘SECURE’ (Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environment), articulated by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi initially at the SCO Summit in Qingdao in 2018.

29-Mar-2023: 25 Countries Come together to Promote Traditional Medicine

The B2B Conference & Expo along with National Arogya Summit, held in Guwahati recently under the aegis of Ministry of Ayush under India’s presidency of SCO, has successfully brought together 25 SCO countries to promote Traditional Medicine so as that it can contribute in the economic development, environment protection and achieve the goal of Health Security among the SCO nations. The event witnessed active participation of H.E. Dr. Thet Khaing Win Minister of Health, Myanmar, H.E. Safiyya Mohamed Saeed Deputy Minister of Health, Maldives and Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai MoS for Ayush and Participation of China, Russia and Pakistan in technical sessions through virtual mode was also noteworthy.  The Conference and Expo cum Summit was inaugurated by Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping &Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.

India attained the SCO full member status in 2017 and after assuming the Presidency of SCO Council of Heads of State for the year 2023 on 17th September 2022 at Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had remarked that India would take the initiative for a new SCO Expert working Group on Traditional Medicine. Accordingly, Ministry of Ayush has taken various initiatives on Traditional Medicine during India’s SCO Presidency viz., organized virtual conference of experts and practitioners of Traditional Medicine, conducted First Expert Working Group (EWG) on Traditional Medicine wherein Draft Regulations of the EWG on Traditional Medicine were approved at expert level and will be further subjected to other respective country administrative procedures and finally to be adopted at the Head of the States Summit. It is in this light that the Guwahati SCO B2B Conference and Expo acquire importance and could successfully take the momentum further.

On the sidelines of the SCO B2B conference, Ministry of Ayush also had a bi-lateral meeting with Myanmar to discuss the cooperation on Ayurveda and Traditional Medicine. The MoU for the same was signed between the Ministry of Ayush, India and Ministry of Health, Myanmar on 29th August 2016, which is automatically extended and valid up till 28th August 2026. The Indian side was led by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister for Ayush and Ports, Shipping & waterways. Myanmar side was led by H.E. Dr. Thet Khaing Win,  Minister, Ministry of Health, Myanmar.

This Conference was attended by a total of 214 participants, out of which 83 were international delegates from 16 SCO Countries and 131 were Indian delegates. A total of 30 presentations were made during the said event of which 19 were from SCO Countries. 11 presentations were delivered by the Indian side, including presentations from Ministry of Ayush and the industry. A total of 11 sessions were held during the said conference. Active participation by all representatives across various discussions/presentations, trade activities and concurrently running National Arogya Summit/Expo was a remarkable achievement.

While 56 exhibitors, including industries, educational institutes and Ayush services providers exhibited their products, institutions & infrastructure, were involved in the B2B expo in Guwahati, the encouraging response came from 60 buyers from 11 countries in the form of keen interest. During the conference and the Expo more than 125 one-to-one meetings were held between buyers & sellers. The trade interest was received from 13 SCO countries in the fields of Ayurveda Education, Traditional Medicine Products and developing Infrastructure for providing Ayurveda and Yoga for Medical Value Travel. These B2B meeting participants were from Tajikistan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India.

The B2B conference was organized in line with the theme “SECURE” SCO, where ‘S’ stands for Security for Citizens, ‘E’ for Economic Development, ‘C’ for Connectivity, ‘U’ for Unity, ‘R’ for Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Unity and ‘E’ for Environment Protection. These themes were covered during the SCO events in India in the following manner:-

  • The SCO nations together deliberated on various issues pertaining to Traditional Medicine, easing up of trade for traditional medicine within the SCO nations and promotion of Traditional medicine. These issues were discussed upon to achieve the goal of Health Security among the SCO nations, which relates to the Security (Health) theme of SCO.
  • Keeping the theme of Economic Development into consideration, 10 LOIs were received during the event along with direct trade interest of over INR 590 Crore. Likewise, the opportunities will also be available for other SCO countries.
  • 16 SCO nations brought together under one umbrella for deliberating on key agenda of development of traditional medicine and its active promotion highlights the Connectivity theme of SCO.
  • Consensus was developed among the Experts from SCO Member States on the Regulations of the EWG on TM under SCO which relates to the Unity theme of SCO.

This event held by the Ministry of Ayush, under the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, was not only a crown jewel in the SCO deliberations and co-operation efforts under the presidency of India, but also highlights the potential for growth and synergies between SCO Nations in the global Traditional Medicine sector.

17-Mar-2023: Meeting of Heads of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism Administrations in Kashi(Varanasi)

Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India chaired the Meeting of Heads of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism Administrations held in ‘Kashi’ (Varanasi) on 17th March 2023.

The SCO Tourism Ministers finalised and approved the Joint Action Plan prepared for implementing the Agreement between the Governments of the SCO Member States on the Development of Cooperation in Tourism. The approved Joint Action Plan has the following prioritised components -

  • Promotion of the SCO tourism brand.
  • Promotion of the cultural heritage of the SCO Member States in tourism.
  • Sharing and Exchange of information and digital technologies in tourism.
  • Promotion of mutual cooperation in medical and health tourism.
  • Improving the quality of services.

As per the agreed Joint Action Plan, the member countries will undertake various activities such as SCO tourism exhibition, SCO Food Festival, Webinar & Seminar on tourism, conference and expert session on promotion and development of tourism in the region.

The meeting also adopted the Action Plan for “Year of Tourism Development in the SCO Space in 2023.” This document identified a list of activities and events to promote and showcase Tourism products of SCO member States.

A Joint Statement by the Head of the Tourism Administrations of the SCO member countries was also issued post the meeting. The Meeting of Heads of SCO Tourism Administrations was preceded by two Expert Working Group (EWG) meetings held under the Chairmanship of India. The 1st EWG meeting was held online on 31.01.2023 whereas the 2nd meeting of the EWG was held in physical mode on 14th -15th March 2023 in ‘Kashi’ (Varanasi).

‘Kashi’ has been declared as the First Tourism & Cultural Capital of SCO. This recognition will bring the city to a greater prominence in the global tourist map. The initiative will garner more attention by highlighting the spiritualism, mysticism, learning of Kashi which is also the cradle of Indian civilization. The next meeting of the SCO Heads of Tourism Administrations will be held in Kazakhstan in 2024.

Four bilateral meetings of India with China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan were also held on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Heads of SCO Tourism administrations.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai. The SCO currently comprises Eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan).

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19-May-2023: India calls upon the countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations to join hands for enhanced collaboration in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh called upon countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations to join hands for enhanced collaboration in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Addressing the Seventh Session of the Heads of Ministries and Agencies of Science and Technology of the SCO Member States, as representative Minister of the host country India, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ready to work closely with other member countries of the SCO to jointly address the emerging challenges of the Eurasian region. The Minister appreciated the participation and the overwhelming efforts of each of the Member States to enhance the cooperation among SCO Member States.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that SCO has emerged as a vital cog in transforming the multilateral cooperation in the Eurasian region in the past two decades of its existence, and India attaches special importance to SCO in harnessing this crucial cooperation in the region.

The Minister mentioned that SCO countries are exposed to identical challenges such as ensuring food, challenges emerging due to climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, affordable healthcare, environmental issues and energy access for its people. In order to resolve these challenges, it is imperative for us to join hands to innovate affordable scientific solutions, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the global scenario of the economy. Science and technology has played a greater role in global economic recovery. The SCO scientific community needs to cooperate in the field of technology-based solutions for social and economic challenges.

The Minister said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Govt. of India has focused on innovative interventions for affordable healthcare and by 2047, India aims to be one of the world's top markets in medical devices. India is moving along the mantra emphasized upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, and Jai Anusandhan,’ which essentially believes in coordination of various sectors to make India a global centre of research and innovation.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that during the last seven years, India’s expenditure of R&D has almost doubled. In this year's budget, the Government has allocated about Rupees 16,360 Crore (US$ 2.20 billion) for the Ministry of Science and Technology. This apart, the Government of India has recently embarked upon the creation of a National Research Foundation (NRF) with substantial funding to promote translational and interdisciplinary research in addition to basic R&D activities.

Following consistent thrust towards research and innovation, India has climbed to 3rd position in scientific publication as per NSF database. During the last 8 years, the number of registered start-ups has grown from a mere 400 to an astounding 97,000. It has also reached 3rd Position in terms of number of PhDs, in size of Higher Education System; as well as in terms of number of Start-ups, the Minister said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Government of India, in the recent past, have launched several flagship initiatives such National Mission on Cyber Physical Systems; Quantum Computing; National Mission on Supercomputing, Deep Ocean Mission etc. to build scientific leadership in the emerging areas of science.

The Minister reiterated that India’s commitment to environmental and climate issues remains steadfast. With the launching of the National Hydrogen Energy Mission and several such initiatives India is progressing ahead to meet its commitment at COP 26 of achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and fulfilling 50 per cent of energy requirements by utilising renewable energy by 2030.

Dr Jitendra Singh expressed the Government of India’s commitment to work closely in all three dimensions–Science, Technology and Innovation in a balanced and integrated manner. All our citizens, in all parts of respective territories, deserve to fully enjoy the benefits of Science, he said.

The Minister underlined the importance of the implementation of S&T mechanism of Science and Technology for sustainable development and improving the quality of life of the people and for reinforced efforts for its effective implementation.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that India has always expressed a deep desire to strengthen cooperation within SCO counties in this key sphere of Science, Technology and Innovation which directly impacts the welfare and progress of all our peoples.

The Minister concluded by saying that India whole-heartedly appreciates the participation and the overwhelming efforts of each of the Member States to enhance the cooperation among SCO Member States. He said that India would support SCO efforts in developing innovative and inclusive solutions to promote sustainable development within the Eurasian region. India looks forward to working closely with all the Member States to reach a consensus on these initiatives.

It is pertinent to mention that the SCO has emerged as a key regional organization in the Eurasian space in the past two decades of its existence, and India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateral cooperation in the region. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation consists of approximately 42% of the world’s population, 22% of its land area, and contributes 20% to the global GDP.

11-May-2023: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Startup Forum 2023

After two successful editions in virtual mode, Startup India, Department of Promotion for Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce organized the third edition in the form of first-ever physical Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Startup Forum in New Delhi recently. The engagement aimed at expanding the startup interactions amongst the SCO Member States, nurturing the spirit of innovation, generating more employment and encouraging young talent to build innovative solutions.

The forum witnessed physical participation from SCO Member States including a delegation of government officials, private industry players, incubators and startups. Union Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Som Parkash delivered the keynote address highlighting the role of Startup Ecosystem in boosting the economy of a nation. Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Smt. Manmeet Kaur Nanda addressed the delegation about India’s startup journey and initiatives for promoting startups by the Government of India.

This engagement focused on the spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship. It aimed at promoting innovation development, particularly through the creation of common platforms and the facilitation of ideas and best practices among the SCO Member States. Various startup-to-startup bilateral meetings were conducted in promoting and achieving this agenda.

In addition, the delegates also attended a workshop conducted by Startup India on the ‘Role of Bilateral and Multilateral Engagements in developing startup ecosystem’. The workshop included an interactive session to understand various models of engagements that can be undertaken to develop closer ties between these nations and boost the startup ecosystem in SCO nations.

Later, the delegation visited Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, where a startup showcase was organised. The participants visited the facility to receive first-hand experience of the Indian startup ecosystem. During this tour, the participants were equipped with the know-how of entrepreneurship in India and opportunities for expanding their businesses to India. The incubator visit also focused on highlighting the nuances of funding, mentorship, and opportunities provided to support startups at the scaling stage in India.

By leading such engagements, India undertook an opportunity to share the opportunities of expanding the innovation footprint, knitting the whole ecosystem together and inspiring other SCO Member States to take up similar programs.

Previously, Startup India had organized various initiatives for SCO Member states including:

  1. SCO Startup Forum 2020: The SCO Startup Forum laid the foundation for multilateral cooperation and engagement for startups among the SCO Member States.
  2. SCO Startup Forum 2021: The two-day Forum was held virtually through a customized platform representing the Indian culture in augmented reality. SCO Startup Hub, a single point of contact for the SCO startup ecosystem, was launched in this forum.
  3. Focused Mentorship Program: A 3-month long virtual mentorship series ‘Starting-Up’ was organized for the nominated startups, to build capacity among the SCO Startup founders.

26-Apr-2023: XIX SCO IBC Council Meeting held in Goa

Under the chairmanship of India, the XIX Council Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Interbank Consortium (SCO IBC) was held today in Goa. The meeting saw participation from representatives of member banks including Development Bank of Kazakhstan, China Development Bank, RSK Bank (Kyrgyzstan), Habib Bank Limited (Pakistan), VEB.RF (Russia), Savings bank of the Republic of Tajikistan Amonatbonk, and National Bank for Foreign Economic Activities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In his address as the Chair of the Meeting, Shri P.R. Jaishankar, Managing Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), highlighted India's achievements as the fifth largest economy in the world and its continued rise as a strong and vibrant democracy. He mentioned that India's GDP growth in 2022 stood at 6.8%, outperforming major economies like the US, United Kingdom, and Europe. He also highlighted India's rapid digitization of the economy, sustainable development efforts, and significant growth in exports. India is keeping pace with Sustainable Development while building infrastructure projects, he added.

Shri Jaishankar proposed four areas of cooperation for SCO IBC Members:

  1. Expansion of cooperation: Efforts to be made towards taking initiatives to further expand cooperation among member banks.
  2. Exchange of experience and skills: Emphasis on exchange of experience, skills, and personnel training among SCO IBC Member Banks, building on positive strides already made in this direction.
  3. Electronic Collection of signed documents: Support for the initiative to form an Electronic Collection of the SCO IBC signed documents for the 20th anniversary of the Consortium.
  4. Strengthening partnerships: Encouragement for member banks to strengthen partnerships within the framework of SCO IBC.

Vivek Joshi, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, highlighted India's economic resilience, robust financial infrastructure, and financial sector reforms that have supported India's growth story. He mentioned the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched as the National Mission on Financial Inclusion in 2014, as a notable initiative to extend the reach of financial services to the unserved and underserved sections of society.

The SCO IBC Council meeting also focused on the increased sensitivity towards climate change and the need for sustainable development. India's commitment to combat climate change was highlighted, including the pledge by the Prime Minister of India to reduce carbon emissions, achieve net-zero carbon emissions target by 2070, and become a leading producer and supplier of Green Hydrogen in the world.

The XIX Council Meeting of the SCO IBC concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen cooperation among member banks, exchange of experience and skills, and support for sustainable development initiatives. The proposed SCO-IBC Chair for the year 2023-24 is the ‘Development Bank of Kazakhstan’.

3-Apr-2023: Twentieth Session of Culture Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Member States held virtually

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region Shri G. Kishan Reddy, hosted the 20th Session of Culture Ministers’ Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States through video conferencing on 3rd April, 2023.

The Culture Ministers of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting.  The Culture Ministers of Member States of SCO expressed their views for enhancing cooperation in the field of culture within the SCO framework in the purview of the Agreement between the governments of the SCO member states on cooperation in the field of culture and other such agreements under SCO framework.

In his opening address, Minister of Culture, Shri G Kishan Reddy mentioned the historical and cultural linkages among SCO Nations.  He cited the importance of cultural collaborations and dialogue in propagating peaceful coexistence through mutual respect, diversity and inclusiveness. The Minister launched a specially curated digital Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO countries on the occasion.

Citing the aptness of India’s theme of SCO Chairmanship ‘SECURE - Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environment’, the Minister stated that Culture lies at the heart of this theme as a binding force that directly contributes towards achieving all these targets. It is only through collectively establishing a ‘Fair and SECURE Culture for LiFE” that we can constructively contribute for overall prosperity in the region.

He appreciated the participation of SCO nations including observer states and dialogue partners in the recent Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO held on 14-15 March 2023 in New Delhi.  He highlighted the teachings of Buddha and emphasized the need of these values and practices to be adopted to renew trans-cultural links and shared histories and traditions of SCO nations.

At the end of the meeting, the Protocol was adopted and signed by all the Ministers of Culture of the Member States of SCO.

India became full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in June, 2017.

India has hosted two SCO Senior Culture Officials Meeting on 3.2.2023 and 31.3.2023 in virtual format to discuss and formulate the papers for the SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting.   M/o Culture hosted the Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO Member States, Observer States and Dialogue Partner on14-15th March, 2023, in New Delhi.  The Buddhist scholars and delegates from SCO countries participated in the Conference.

During the ongoing "SCO Council of Heads of States" Presidency of India, SCO aims at advancing the theme of ‘SECURE’ (Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environment), articulated by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi initially at the SCO Summit in Qingdao in 2018.

29-Mar-2023: 25 Countries Come together to Promote Traditional Medicine

The B2B Conference & Expo along with National Arogya Summit, held in Guwahati recently under the aegis of Ministry of Ayush under India’s presidency of SCO, has successfully brought together 25 SCO countries to promote Traditional Medicine so as that it can contribute in the economic development, environment protection and achieve the goal of Health Security among the SCO nations. The event witnessed active participation of H.E. Dr. Thet Khaing Win Minister of Health, Myanmar, H.E. Safiyya Mohamed Saeed Deputy Minister of Health, Maldives and Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai MoS for Ayush and Participation of China, Russia and Pakistan in technical sessions through virtual mode was also noteworthy.  The Conference and Expo cum Summit was inaugurated by Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping &Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.

India attained the SCO full member status in 2017 and after assuming the Presidency of SCO Council of Heads of State for the year 2023 on 17th September 2022 at Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had remarked that India would take the initiative for a new SCO Expert working Group on Traditional Medicine. Accordingly, Ministry of Ayush has taken various initiatives on Traditional Medicine during India’s SCO Presidency viz., organized virtual conference of experts and practitioners of Traditional Medicine, conducted First Expert Working Group (EWG) on Traditional Medicine wherein Draft Regulations of the EWG on Traditional Medicine were approved at expert level and will be further subjected to other respective country administrative procedures and finally to be adopted at the Head of the States Summit. It is in this light that the Guwahati SCO B2B Conference and Expo acquire importance and could successfully take the momentum further.

On the sidelines of the SCO B2B conference, Ministry of Ayush also had a bi-lateral meeting with Myanmar to discuss the cooperation on Ayurveda and Traditional Medicine. The MoU for the same was signed between the Ministry of Ayush, India and Ministry of Health, Myanmar on 29th August 2016, which is automatically extended and valid up till 28th August 2026. The Indian side was led by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister for Ayush and Ports, Shipping & waterways. Myanmar side was led by H.E. Dr. Thet Khaing Win,  Minister, Ministry of Health, Myanmar.

This Conference was attended by a total of 214 participants, out of which 83 were international delegates from 16 SCO Countries and 131 were Indian delegates. A total of 30 presentations were made during the said event of which 19 were from SCO Countries. 11 presentations were delivered by the Indian side, including presentations from Ministry of Ayush and the industry. A total of 11 sessions were held during the said conference. Active participation by all representatives across various discussions/presentations, trade activities and concurrently running National Arogya Summit/Expo was a remarkable achievement.

While 56 exhibitors, including industries, educational institutes and Ayush services providers exhibited their products, institutions & infrastructure, were involved in the B2B expo in Guwahati, the encouraging response came from 60 buyers from 11 countries in the form of keen interest. During the conference and the Expo more than 125 one-to-one meetings were held between buyers & sellers. The trade interest was received from 13 SCO countries in the fields of Ayurveda Education, Traditional Medicine Products and developing Infrastructure for providing Ayurveda and Yoga for Medical Value Travel. These B2B meeting participants were from Tajikistan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India.

The B2B conference was organized in line with the theme “SECURE” SCO, where ‘S’ stands for Security for Citizens, ‘E’ for Economic Development, ‘C’ for Connectivity, ‘U’ for Unity, ‘R’ for Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Unity and ‘E’ for Environment Protection. These themes were covered during the SCO events in India in the following manner:-

  • The SCO nations together deliberated on various issues pertaining to Traditional Medicine, easing up of trade for traditional medicine within the SCO nations and promotion of Traditional medicine. These issues were discussed upon to achieve the goal of Health Security among the SCO nations, which relates to the Security (Health) theme of SCO.
  • Keeping the theme of Economic Development into consideration, 10 LOIs were received during the event along with direct trade interest of over INR 590 Crore. Likewise, the opportunities will also be available for other SCO countries.
  • 16 SCO nations brought together under one umbrella for deliberating on key agenda of development of traditional medicine and its active promotion highlights the Connectivity theme of SCO.
  • Consensus was developed among the Experts from SCO Member States on the Regulations of the EWG on TM under SCO which relates to the Unity theme of SCO.

This event held by the Ministry of Ayush, under the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, was not only a crown jewel in the SCO deliberations and co-operation efforts under the presidency of India, but also highlights the potential for growth and synergies between SCO Nations in the global Traditional Medicine sector.

17-Mar-2023: Meeting of Heads of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism Administrations in Kashi(Varanasi)

Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India chaired the Meeting of Heads of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism Administrations held in ‘Kashi’ (Varanasi) on 17th March 2023.

The SCO Tourism Ministers finalised and approved the Joint Action Plan prepared for implementing the Agreement between the Governments of the SCO Member States on the Development of Cooperation in Tourism. The approved Joint Action Plan has the following prioritised components -

  • Promotion of the SCO tourism brand.
  • Promotion of the cultural heritage of the SCO Member States in tourism.
  • Sharing and Exchange of information and digital technologies in tourism.
  • Promotion of mutual cooperation in medical and health tourism.
  • Improving the quality of services.

As per the agreed Joint Action Plan, the member countries will undertake various activities such as SCO tourism exhibition, SCO Food Festival, Webinar & Seminar on tourism, conference and expert session on promotion and development of tourism in the region.

The meeting also adopted the Action Plan for “Year of Tourism Development in the SCO Space in 2023.” This document identified a list of activities and events to promote and showcase Tourism products of SCO member States.

A Joint Statement by the Head of the Tourism Administrations of the SCO member countries was also issued post the meeting. The Meeting of Heads of SCO Tourism Administrations was preceded by two Expert Working Group (EWG) meetings held under the Chairmanship of India. The 1st EWG meeting was held online on 31.01.2023 whereas the 2nd meeting of the EWG was held in physical mode on 14th -15th March 2023 in ‘Kashi’ (Varanasi).

‘Kashi’ has been declared as the First Tourism & Cultural Capital of SCO. This recognition will bring the city to a greater prominence in the global tourist map. The initiative will garner more attention by highlighting the spiritualism, mysticism, learning of Kashi which is also the cradle of Indian civilization. The next meeting of the SCO Heads of Tourism Administrations will be held in Kazakhstan in 2024.

Four bilateral meetings of India with China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan were also held on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Heads of SCO Tourism administrations.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai. The SCO currently comprises Eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan).

2022

29-Sep-2022: Constructive co-operation coupled with trust and transparency is key to tap the trade potential of SCO Member States: Smt. Anupriya Patel

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Smt. Anupriya Patel said that constructive co-operation coupled with trust and transparency is key to tap the trade potential of SCO Member States. She was making an intervention at the 21st Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Ministers responsible for Foreign Economy and Foreign Trade. The Minister mentioned the opportunities available in the SCO region for mutually beneficial, balanced and equitable gains for all SCO Members. She stressed on the need for effective cooperation between SCO Member States for a balanced and equitable growth in trade and commerce.

She underscored the importance of collective efforts to achieve balanced and equitable economic growth by way of making trade as an engine of reviving growth and driver of economic recovery.  She emphasised that trust and transparency determine the sustainability of global trade and preserving the fundamental principles and objectives of the multilateral trading system.

She stressed on the need to work towards enhancing affordable access to medicines, therapeutics, vaccines as well as health care at affordable prices for fighting any pandemic, such as Covid-19 to preserve the life, livelihood, food and nutritional security of the poorest.

To bring prosperity for the human kind, MOS emphasised the need to share the best practices on technological development, optimum utilization of resources, conservation of environment, sustainable distribution of resources so that present and future generation have adequate resource to live with, in a happy environment. On the issue of environment, MOS expressed that the climate agenda at world forum should not be used to introduce measures restricting trade and investment cooperation.

MoS also highlighted that there is a significant gap in digital technologies between developed and developing countries which needs to be narrowed down by building digital capacities.

She lauded the recent initiative of SCO, wherein City of Varanasi has been nominated as the first-ever SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for the period of 2022-2023. She expressed hope that this will help promote tourism and people-to-people interaction and boost trade and economic cooperation.

In her concluding remarks, MOS emphasized that SCO members must prepare, act and pursue an agenda that is equitable, inclusive and development oriented.

The virtual meeting was attended by the representative of SCO Secretariat and Heads of Delegations of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

23-Sep-2022: 20th Meeting of Prosecutors General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States organized at Astana, Kazakhstan

The 20th Meeting of Prosecutors General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States was held on 23rd September, 2022 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Indian delegation attended the meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan under the leadership of:-

  1. Shri Tushar Mehta, Learned Solicitor General of India, Department of Legal Affairs
  2. Dr. Anju Rathi Rana, Additional Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs

As precursor to the event on 23rd September, 2022 Dr. Anju Rathi Rana, Additional Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice attended the Meeting of the Experts Group for the 20th Meeting of the Prosecutors General of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States on 8th and 13th September, 2022. The Meeting of the Experts Group reaffirmed strengthening of cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels between SCO Member States. The Experts group discussed issues pertaining to the growth of transnational economic crime in the world and their experience of recovery of proceeds of crime from the states. The discussion between the Member States was held in a constructive and friendly atmosphere fostering the spirit of mutual trust and understanding.

The 20th Meeting of Prosecutors General was attended by the Solicitor General of the Republic of India Shri Tushar Mehta, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan Asylov B.N., Prosecutor of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the People’s Republic of China Zhang Jun, Prosecutor General of the Kyrgyz Republic Zulushev K.T., Additional Attorney-General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Rashdeen Nawaz Kasuri, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Krasnov I.V., Prosecutor General of the Republic of Tajikistan Rakhmon Yu. A., Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan Yuldashev N.T. and the SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming.

A Protocol incorporating the deliberations of the 20th meeting of Prosecutors General of the SCO Member States was signed and adopted by the SCO Member States. The salient features of the Protocol are as under:

  1. To strengthen cooperation between the Prosecutor General's Offices of the SCO Member States with respect to the recovery of the proceeds of crime particularly in money laundering.
  2. To develop cooperation between the prosecutor's offices of the SCO member states at international institutions and forums on issues related to combating economic crimes like money laundering, search, seizure and recovery of the proceeds of crime from states.
  3. To use the forums of bilateral and multilateral gatherings to discuss about ways to strengthen the systems in place to combat economic crimes particularly money laundering.
  4. To continue the exchanging of information on domestic laws governing search seizure and recovery of proceeds of crime. State’s experiences in their prevention as well as references, methodological, information-analytical, scientific and other materials in the field of combating economic crimes.
  5. To develop cooperation between the Prosecutors General offices of the SCO member states in the field of training and advanced training of prosecutors and employees of other law enforcement agencies whose competence includes issues of combating economic crimes.
  6. To conduct and participate in bilateral and multilateral events on combating economic crimes, search, seizure and recovery of proceeds of crime from states.

Addressing the eminent gathering of Prosecutors General from SCO Member States, Shri Tushar Mehta, Learned Solicitor General of India highlighted the initiatives taken by the Government of India to address Transnational Economic Crimes internationally by the ratification of two UN Conventions; the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC) and its three protocols and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). At the national level in order to stop the threat of Transnational Economic Crimes, India has implemented a number of legislative measures over the years to prevent, detect, and penalise money laundering by specialised legislation namely Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA) and the Companies Act, 2013.

Shri Tushar Mehta also underlined the vital role of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties/Agreements for the cases where it is necessary to gather information and conduct formal investigations abroad with the help of foreign government, when the accused person(s) has fled the country after committing a crime, or when a part or the entire crime was committed outside the country.

In order to seek aid in pursuing such crimes India has signed Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements to request assistance in investigating such crimes. India has signed Extradition Treaties/Agreements with 47 and 11 countries respectively and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties/Agreements with 42 nations to seek assistance in the investigation of such instances.

In his concluding remarks, Shri Tushar Mehta, Learned Solicitor General of India, expressed his gratitude to all participating member states and urged them to work together to broaden the scope of the activities of the forum and eliminate the threat of transnational economic crimes by enhancing mutual trust, understanding, cooperation and communication between the member states.

The next (21st) meeting of the Prosecutors General of the SCO Member States will be held in the People’s Republic of China in 2023.

16-Sep-2022: Varanasi nominated as the first-ever SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital at the 2022 SCO Summit

The city of Varanasi has been nominated as the first-ever SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital during the period 2022-2023 at the 22nd Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 16, 2022. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had participated in the Summit.

The nomination of Varanasi as the first ever SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital will promote tourism, cultural and humanitarian exchanges between India and the SCO member Countries. It also underlines India’s ancient civilizational links with Member States of SCO, especially the Central Asian Republics.

Under the framework of this major cultural outreach program, a number of events will be hosted in Varanasi during 2022-23, for which guests will be invited to participate from SCO Member States. These events are expected to attract Indologists, scholars, authors, musicians and artists, photo journalists, travel bloggers and other invited guests.

The regulations for nomination of the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital were adopted at the Dushanbe SCO Summit in 2021 with an objective of promoting cooperation between the SCO Member States in the field of culture and tourism.

24-Aug-2022: SCO member states must fight together & eliminate terrorism in all its forms: Raksha Mantri during Defence Ministers’ meet in Uzbekistan

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has called upon Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to unitedly fight against terrorism and eliminate the menace in all its forms. Addressing the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting at Tashkent, Uzbekistan on August 24, 2022, the Raksha Mantri asserted that terrorism in any form, including cross-border terrorism, committed by anyone and for whatever purpose, is a crime against humanity.

“Terrorism is one of the most serious challenges to global peace and security. India reiterates its resolve to fight all forms of terrorism and make the region peaceful, secure and stable. We seek to develop joint institutional capabilities with the SCO member states, which, while respecting the sensitivities of each country, create the spirit of cooperation among individuals, societies and nations,” Shri Rajnath Singh said.

In this context, the Raksha Mantri proposed to host a workshop in India in 2023 on the theme ‘Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief - Risk mitigation and Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’ for the Defence Ministries of SCO Member States. He also suggested an annual seminar on ‘Topic of Interest’ among the defence think tanks of SCO countries. “We propose to organise the first such defence think tank seminar in India in 2023,” he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh voiced India’s full support to a peaceful, secure & stable Afghanistan, while emphasising to respect its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, national unity and non-interference in internal affairs. He urged all parties to encourage Afghanistan authorities to achieve national reconciliation through dialogue & negotiation and establish a broad-based, inclusive & representative political structure in the country. He underlined the importance of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions in this regard.

The Raksha Mantri added that the Afghan territory must not be used to intimidate or attack any country by providing safe havens & training to terrorists and supporting their activities through financial assistance. He stressed on the need to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and safeguard their fundamental rights.

Expressing India’s concern on the situation in Ukraine, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that New Delhi supports talks between Russia and Ukraine to resolve this crisis. “India is concerned about the humanitarian crisis in-and-around Ukraine. We have extended our support for the efforts of the UN Secretary General, UN agencies and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide humanitarian assistance,” he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh also threw light on India’s age-old ties with SCO countries, asserting that the Member States of the Organisation are common stakeholders in the progress and prosperity of the region. “India accords high priority to SCO because of its unwavering belief in multilateralism. There is a need to strengthen ties with SCO member states bilaterally and within the framework of the organisation on the basis of equality, respect and mutual understanding,” he said. The Raksha Mantri invited all SCO Member States to visit India next year when New Delhi takes over the presidency of the Organisation from Uzbekistan.

After his bilateral meetings with his Uzbek, Kazakh and Belarusian counterparts yesterday, the Raksha Mantri is scheduled to meet Defence Minister of Kyrgyzstan later today. During exchange of pleasantries with Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu this morning, Shri Rajnath Singh conveyed his deep appreciation and thanks for arresting in Moscow a terrorist who was planning attacks in India.

15-Jul-2022: India is determined to boost cooperation with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey

India is determined to boost cooperation with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), said Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister, Heavy Industries while virtually attending the 2nd meeting of Ministers of Industry of the member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbekistan.

The 2nd meeting of Ministers of Industry of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was held in Uzbekistan today with Uzbekistan being the host nation. SCO has China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India & Pakistan as full- time member nations.

During the meeting, the Minister highlighted that India will continue to play an active, positive and constructive role in the organisation. He also reiterated India’s commitment to collaborate with industrialists of SCO member countries to explore mutually beneficial opportunities.

The Minister further stated that by walking together and with mutual cooperation, we can give new direction to socio-economic and industrial development in the region. He said that it is because of this desire for the development of the SCO region, India has prepared the 'Draft Program for Promotion of Industrial Cooperation among Business Worlds of SCO Member States and the Regulations for the Organization and Organizing of Exhibition Programs' at the Industry Ministers' Session of the SCO Member States.

Dr. Pandey emphasized upon India’s robust industrial environment and reiterated that despite disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its performance had significantly improved in 2021-22. He said that the share of mining & quarrying, manufacturing & construction in India’s GDP is now 28%. He told that under the inspirational leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, the government has drawn up a comprehensive program for industrial rejuvenation to remove long-standing bottlenecks arising due to inadequate infrastructure & sluggish business processes.  He also highlighted that various labour market reforms have also been introduced to improve the industrial environment in the country.

14-Jun-2022: Cabinet approves Agreement on Cooperation in the field of youth work among the authorized bodies of the member states Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today was apprised about the Agreement signed among the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states on cooperation in the field of youth work among the authorized bodies of the member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Consequent upon the adoption of the agreement on 17.09.2021 by the member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on cooperation in the field of youth work, the agreement was signed by the Hon’ble Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of the Republic of India. The official working language of the SCO Secretariat is Russian and Chinese.

The areas of cooperation includes; strengthen cooperation in the field of work with youth and public youth organizations (associations) implementing state youth policy, as well as support initiatives aimed at enhancing international youth cooperation. The areas of cooperation further includes training of professional staff in the sphere of work with youth; exchange of scientific, reference and methodological materials, work experience of state bodies, youth public organization, other organizations and associations involved in the implementation of state youth policy and support of youth initiatives; carrying out joint research and activities on various youth policy issues and youth cooperation; exchange of scientific publications, research works on topical issues of preventing youth involvement in destructive structures; promote joint economic and humanitarian initiatives aimed at engaging youth in entrepreneurship and innovative projects to increase their employment and well-being; supporting the activities of the SCO Youth Council.

The objective of the Agreement is to strengthen mutual trust, friendly relations and cooperation among young people of SCO member States. Recognizing the importance of ensuring the development of youth cooperation as an element of deepening friendly relations among the SCO Member States. Seeking to further improve the conditions for youth cooperation based on international experience.

2021

9-Dec-2021: S&T experts from member countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation discuss draft action plan on S&T Cooperation

Experts from the areas of Science and Technology from the member countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) discussed priority areas for the formulation of draft action plan on Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Priority Areas for the year 2022-2025 at the expert meeting of the SCO Member States.

All the member countries agreed to the Draft Action Plan on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for the year 2022-2025, which identified 4 priority areas as Emerging Medical/Biotechnology, Electronics, Energy, Modern Technologies for Precision Agriculture.

Shri S.K. Varshney Adviser and Head International Cooperation Division, Department of Science & Technology, who represented the Indian side, highlighted the importance of the SCO framework in promoting scientific, technical, and innovative cooperation among member countries.

He also informed the members about the SCO Young Scientists conclave held in India in November 2020, in which 65 members from SCO countries participated. “The Young Scientist Conclave gave visibility and strategic edge to countries by engaging with youth,” he said. He also asked the expert members to reflect upon the areas identified in the previous sessions of SCO meetings and then move forward to decide on scope and timeline for the current Draft Action Plan.

The Expert Group discussed the implementation status of decisions of the 5th Meeting of the Heads of the Ministries and Agencies of Science and Technology of the Member States of SCO. They also coordinated the draft Action Plan in Priority Areas and agreed that the Technology Networks of priority areas in the SCO region are important to bridge the gap between all forms of research and humanitarian service sector.

During the meeting, the parties agreed to hold the 6th Meeting of Heads of the Ministries and Agencies of Science and Technology of the SCO Member States in April 2022.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was founded in 2001 by Heads of States of six countries, namely Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined in 2017. The main objective of SCO is the security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. 

29-Oct-2021: SCO member states adopt protocol to strengthen cooperation in preventing and combating growing menace of trafficking in persons especially, women and children.

The Nineteenth Meeting of Prosecutors General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States was hosted by Shri Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India on 29th October, 2021.

Earlier, Shri Anoop Kumar Mendiratta, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice also hosted meeting of the Experts / Officials Group on 27th and 28thOctober, 2021. The Experts Group discussed the issues pertaining to the growth of transnational organized crime on a global scale as well as the current experience of the SCO countries’ efforts to tackle the most dangerous manifestations of transnational crime, including trafficking in persons, especially in women and children in the region.

The 19th meeting was further opened with the welcome address of the Law Secretary, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India highlighting the history of SCO Member States and bringing out the necessity for a concerted effort to check trafficking in human beings. He observed that the protocol & visionary address by Prosecutors General shall strengthen anti-trafficking measures and safety of whole society. He further expressed a fervent hope that joint activities & experiences of SCO Member States shall help to curb the pressing problem of human trafficking and be a driving force for consolidation of efforts globally. The meetings were conducted through Video Conferencing mode.

The Solicitor General of India Shri Tushar Mehta, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Nurdauletov G.D., Procurator General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate of the People’s Republic of China Mr. Zhang Jun, First Deputy Prosecutor General of the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Moldokmatov Abai, Attorney General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Ch. Amir Rehman, Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Mr. Krasnov I.V., Prosecutor General of the Republic of Tajikistan Mr. Rahmon Yusuf Ahmadzod, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan Mr. Yuldashev N.T. participated in the Prosecutors General Meeting. The SCO Secretary General Mr. V.I. Norov and Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure D.F. Giesov also participated in the meeting.

A Protocol following the results of the Nineteenth meeting of Prosecutors General of the SCO Member States was signed and adopted by the SCO Member States. The salient features of the Protocol are as under:

  • To strengthen cooperation in preventing and combating growing menace of trafficking in persons especially, women and children.
  • To continue exchanging the national legislation to combat the menace of trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
  • To provide protection and assistance in victims of trafficking within their competence.
  • To develop cooperation between the educational (training) organizations (institutions) of the SCO member states in the field of training and advanced training of prosecutors, whose competence include combating trafficking in persons especially, women and children.
  • To conduct bilateral and multilateral activities, including thorough videoconferencing, on countering and combating the threat of trafficking in persons, especially women and children.        

Addressing the eminent gathering of Prosecutors General from SCO Member States, Shri Tushar Mehta, Learned Solicitor General of India highlighted the initiatives taken by the Indian Government to curtail the growth of transnational organized crime, including trafficking in persons, inter-alia, including ratification of United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others as also United Nations Convention on Transnational Organised Crime (UNCTOC).

He underlined that the commitment to address the problem of trafficking in human beings by the Government of India is reflected in various legal provisions to counter trafficking provisions, as enshrined in the Indian Constitution as well as Indian Penal Code and Legislations like Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 etc.  He also shared various programmes & schemes initiated by the Government of India like “Ujjwala”, “Swadhar Greh Scheme”, “Sakhi”, “Universalization of Women Helpline”, providing for a supportive institutional framework and mechanism for addressing concerns of women affected by violence.          

As part of the activities of Prosecutors General Forum, Ld. Solicitor General urged SCO Member States to cooperate bilaterally and multilaterally to effectively eliminate the transnational organized crime in trafficking in persons.          

The next (20th) meeting of the Prosecutors General of the SCO Member States will be held in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2022.

14-Oct-2021: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at SCO webinar: Government has taken evolutionary path to ensure equal participation of women in Armed Forces

Delivering the inaugural address at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) webinar on ‘Role of Women in Armed Forces’, on October 14, 2021 from New Delhi, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh said, Government has taken a number of steps to strengthen the role of women within the security setup in general and the armed forces in particular. Women have been serving with pride in Indian Military Nursing Service for over 100 years now. Indian Army had commenced commissioning women officers in 1992. “It has now moved to inducting women officers in most of the branches of the Army. Women are now being accepted for permanent commission and shall be commanding army units and battalions in near future”, he added. The webinar was hosted Hq, Integrated Defence Staff of the Ministry of Defence.

Pointing out that induction of women in Military Police has commenced last year, Raksha Mantri said from next year, women shall be able to join the premier tri-service training institute, the National Defence Academy. He wished to see women officers from SCO nations in the Officer Training Academy, Chennai.

Shri Rajnath Singh said that women were inducted in both support and combat roles - in the Indian Navy they pilot Maritime Reconnaissance aircrafts and since last year they were appointed onboard warships. Similarly, Indian Coast Guard has been employing women officers in combat roles which includes pilots, observers and aviation support services. In the Indian Air Force, women fly helicopters, fighter jets and constitute a significant percent of the officer cadre. In UN peacekeeping missions too, women from the Indian Armed Forces participate regularly.

He said that Government’s approach to the induction of women in the armed forces has been progressive. “We have taken the evolutionary path of moving from support to combat support and thereafter to combat arms within the armed forces,” he added.

Underlining that the concept of security is undergoing a paradigm shift, Shri Rajnath Singh said the changing character of war is bringing threats from our borders to within our society.  “Terrorism is just the most obvious and diabolical manifestation of this reality. It has been employed as a weapon of choice by non-state actors and irresponsible states alike for the furtherance of their political objectives. SCO as an organization has unequivocally rejected terrorism in all its manifestations and forms,” he added and stressed that “this fight cannot be won by half the population…Women too will remain equal contributors in this fight, both within the armed forces and beyond them.”

Shri Rajnath Singh said women have proven themselves in every walk of life, “Many barriers have been broken and many more imagined barriers should break in the years to come.”

Raksha Mantri saluted the brave women from all SCO nations who have been selflessly serving their respective nations, working on conflict mitigation, developmental projects and promoting the cause of peace and prosperity. Exhorting the SCO nations to ensure regional stability, promote peace, ensure gender-equality and work towards betterment of the entire region, Raksha Mantri said, “We look forward to much greater participation and bigger role of women in various tasks of Armed Forces.”

Stressing that Indian customs and traditions revered women as both caregivers and protectors, Raksha Mantri said, “If Saraswati is our Goddess of knowledge, wisdom & learning, Mother Durga remains associated with protection, strength, destruction and war. In fact, we are celebrating Vijay Dashami, the day Goddess Durga defeated & killed demon Mahishasura, across the subcontinent.” He also recalled that women took up arms to protect the country throughout history, “Rani Laxmi Bai is amongst the most revered and respected amongst them. She fought against the imposition of unjust foreign rule till her very last breath, leading her men from the front.”

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat delivered the welcome address. The SCO Deputy Secretary-General Muratbek Azymbakiev also addressed Webinar via video link. Delegates of SCO countries shared their experiences with the aim to enrich and inform policy makers and practitioners alike. The webinar was conducted in two sessions. The first session on ‘Historical Perspective of Women’s Roles in Combat Operations’ was chaired by Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical) Lt General Madhuri Kanitkar. Apart from India, speakers from China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan shared their perspectives in the session. The Second session on ‘Emerging Trends in Wars and Likely Roles of Women Warriors’ was chaired by Former Foreign Secretary Smt Nirupama Rao Menon. Members from Pakistan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan shared their views on the subject.

Closing address was delivered by Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) Air Marshal B R Krishna. Senior civil and military officials of MoD attended the webinar.

2019

24-May-2019: Indian Delegation participates in Second SCO Mass Media Forum at Bishkek

The Second Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Mass Media Forum is being held at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from 23-26 May, 2019. The Forum was inaugurated by the President of Kyrgyz Republic Mr. S. Jeenbeko. The President in his inaugural address highlighted the importance of Mass Media organizations of SCO countries in accomplishing the SCO objectives of mutual trust, friendly relations with neighbors and regional security in line with the “Shanghai Spirit”.

The Forum aims to strengthen the exchange and cooperation in the field of mass media amongst SCO countries. It offers a unique platform for active work through mass media to create an objective vision of the organization and strengthen its positive image in the global information space. The representative of state bodies supervising mass media of the SCO countries (Member States, Observer Countries, Dialogue Partners); representatives of leading mass media of the SCO countries and representatives of the SCO Secretariat are participating in the Forum.

Speaking at the Forum, the Indian Delegation highlighted the vital role of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the development of the mass media landscape within the country. The Delegation emphasized the need for media collaborations and exchange of best practices amongst the various mass media agencies, organizations and associations across the SCO partner states. The Delegation suggested that media personnel exchange programmes may be undertaken along with joint international press conferences. The idea of working together to counter the problem of fake news was also highlighted. The Delegation invited all the SCO member delegates to the Golden Jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India to be held in Goa in November 2019.

The SCO Member States also adopted the Resolution of Media Forum which calls for establishing successful collaborations of Mass Media Organizations of the SCO member Countries.

Background: The first SCO Media Summit was held in Beijing on 1 June 2018. This event was held under the motto “Development of the “Shanghai Spirit” and opening of a new era in the mass media cooperation”, where over 110 media outlets from 16 countries participated, including the SCO Member States, Observer States and Dialogue Partners.

16-Mar-2019: SCO members to hold joint anti-terror exercise

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) member states, including India and Pakistan, will participate in a joint anti-terrorism exercise this year.

The decision to hold the joint exercise -- "Sary-Arka-Antiterror 2019" -- was announced during the 34th meeting of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) council of the SCO in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Delegations from India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the RATS Executive Committee attended the meeting.

Chaired by Russia, the meeting also declared plans to hold the first stage of the joint border operation "Solidarity 2019-2021", the 7th meeting of the heads of the border services, and training workshops for identifying and preventing the use of Internet for terrorist, separatist and extremist purposes.

The RATS is a permanent part of the SCO that serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. It is headquartered in Tashkent.

The next meeting of the Council of the RATS SCO is scheduled in Russia in September 2019.

2018

24-Aug-2018: Opening Ceremony Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018

Exercise Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Peace Mission 2018, the latest in 'Peace Mission' series formally started on 24 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Russia. The opening ceremony was conducted in Chebarkul, Russia with military contingents of the all eight SCO member nations participating in this exercise. The contingents were addressed by Lieutenant General Alexander Pavlovich Lapin, Chief Commander Central Military District, Russia. The formal parade by military contingents was performed at the camp location of Combined Arms Range in Chebarkul, Russia.

The exercise will provide an opportunity to the armed forces of SCO nations to train in counter terrorism operations in urban scenario in a multinational and joint environment.  The scope of the exercise includes professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills & procedures, establishment of joint command and control structures and elimination of terrorist threat in urban counter terrorist scenario.

The Russian Army has the major participation of 1700 personnel followed by China with 700 & India with 200 personnel. The SCO Peace Mission Exercise is one of the major defense cooperation initiatives amongst SCO nations and will be a landmark event in the history of SCO defence cooperation.