 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

For its efforts at improving the quality of education, National Council of Eucational Research and Training receives assistance from international agencies like UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA. During this period, Council's officers were deputed abroad for Science Equipment; Technical Education; Documentation Service; Educational Research; Instructional Materials; Educational Technology; Examplar Modules; Special Education; etc. Foreign visitors to the Council visited in connection with textbook preparation; audiovisual aids; science teaching; educational television; textbook production; science kits; environmental education; population education; etc.

The Council functions as the secretariat of the National Development Group for the Asian Centre for Educational Innovations and Development (ACEID). The Council as an associated centre of the APEID, hosted the programmes on upgrading basic sciences; in-service teacher education; integrated curriculum; productive work in teacher education etc . During this period, the Council signed contracts with UNESCO for undertaking studies on technology in education; drop-out problem; inservice training modules; problems of urban, marginal areas; graphic communications; alternative structures in education and contemporary world problems.

The Council acts as a major agency for implementing the provision of the Bilateral Cultural Exchange Programmes that are signed by the Government of India with different countries as far as school education is concerned. Council's officers were deputed abroad for vocational education, and educational information system. Visitors to the Council included

those who came in connection with pedagogical personnel training; examination techniques; curriculum development; and school television.

The Indian Council of Historical Research sent 9 historians to attend the International Congress of Human Sciences held in Tokyo. Besides, 5 scholars were sanctioned grants for visiting foreign countries in connection with their research pursuits/International Seminars.

The Indian Council of Social Science Research maintained and developed contacts, exchanges, co-operation and collaboration outside India. Under the Indo-French Cultural Exchange Programme,6 French scholars visited India and 5 scholars from India visited France during the years 1982 and 1983. A scholar visited Czechoslovakia under Indo-Czech programme. Fifty Indian scholars visited different countries to collect data and to attend international conferences The Council hosted the Unesco meeting on Women Studies and Social Science at New Delhi in, October, 1982. A seminar on New International Economic Order was held at New Delhi in December, 1982. A meeting of the two Co-chairmen of the Indo-Soviet Joint Commission for Co- operation in Social Sciences was' held in September,1982, at Moscow. A 10-member Indian delegation visited China in October, 1982. A symposium on "Nature of State and its structure in Developing Countries" was organised at Madras jointly With the Madras Institute for Development Studies under the Indo-Soviet Cultural Exchange Programme during April, 1983. The first phase of the Indo-Dutch Programme on Alternatives in Development comprising 13 Indian and Dutch research projects was completed and evaluated. An International seminar on "Welfare State in Europe Origins, Constraints and Recent Trends" was held under the IDPAD in Hague in June, 1983, which was attended by a 4-member Indian delegation.

The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, New Delhi, awarded fellowships to 20 Canadian scholars during 1982 and

1983 for undertaking research in humanities, learning Indian languages and in the field of performing arts. The Institute awarded travel grants to 16 Canadian scholars to participate in seminars/workshops held in India. Two Indian scholars were also selected by the Institute to visit Canada under the Social Sciences and Humanities Programmes.

Under the Indo-USSR Cultural Exchange Programme, 49 and 39 Russian teachers were assigned to various Indian Universities/Institutions for teaching Russian Language and literature during 1982 and 1993, respectively.

Under the Berkeley Professional Studies Programme in India, 6 scholars during 1982 and 7 scholars during 1983 came for study/internship in the fields of medicine, law, engineering, textiles, architecture, agriculture and health.

The American Institute of Indian Studies, New Delhi awarded fellowships to 226 scholars during the years 1982 and 1983 for doing research in social sciences, humanities etc.

Eighty seven American scholars/students came to India during the period 1982-1983 for doctoral and post-doctoral research under the United States Educational Foundation's programme and also for assignment as visiting professors in Indian Universities. Similarly, 92 Indian scholars were awarded Lecturers/Research/student Fellowships to the USA.

India is one of the contributing countries to Colombo Plan Staff College for Technician Education in Singapore. Besides providing annual contribution of its share that is provided by the Department of Economic Affairs, she has also provided two Indian Faculties.

This college conducts programmes, seminars, workshops etc. for the benefit of Senior Administrators, Heads of Polytechnics. Directors of Technical Education and the Faculty of Technicians Institutions. The Ministry makes nominations

for the various programmes being conducted at this college after inviting proposals from the State Government and Institutions.