(a) whether India and the US Massachusetts Institute of Technology has signed an agreement for joint venture during the month of June 2001;
(b) if so, the salient features of the agreement; and
(c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken to implement the project?
MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY(SHRI PRAMOD MAHAJAN)
(a): Yes, Sir. An agreement was signed on 24th June, 2001 for
setting up Media Lab Asia in India.
(b): The salient features of the Agreement are:
- To establish Media Lab Asia for the utilization of
sophisticated information technologies in meeting the challenges
of health, learning, enterprise etc.
- Media Lab Asia`s program has been conceived in two
phases - a one-year pilot program and a subsequent nine-year
`full-scope program` that may be taken up upon favorable
evaluation of the one-year exploratory program and mutual
agreement.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology`s (MIT) Media Lab
will assist the Government of India in focusing the research of
the Media Lab Asia program on the objective of bringing the
benefits of the most sophisticated emerging information
technologies to the daily problems of the common man in India.
- Media Lab Asia shall be set up as a non-profit Indian organization.
- The Government of India would contribute an amount of Rs.65 crores for the exploratory program.
- Out of the above amount, US $ 1.7 million will be paid to
MIT, as compensation for various program expenses (such as travel,
communications, salaries, indirect costs, and fellowship
expenditures).
- Ownership of Intellectual Property developed pursuant to
the participation of Media Lab Asia organization and the MIT Media
Lab under this Agreement will vest in accordance with the
relevant policies of Media Lab Asia organization and MIT. What
is developed jointly will be shared and each can exploit the
same.
- MIT Media Lab will provide the Media Lab Asia organization
with the benefit of its professional and technical expertise in
preparing Media Lab Asia`s Intellectual Property Right (IPR)
Policy.
- The parties agree that MIT`s Media Lab will not set up
another organization that uses or includes the name `Media Lab
Asia` and shall not set up another organisation in Asia with the
same objectives without the consent of
- Government of India.
- The parties have the shared goal of communicating with
transparency and accuracy to the public concerning Media Lab
Asia.
_ In the event of any deadlock, dispute or differences, the
rights and obligations of the parties shall be resolved by
arbitration to be conducted in Delhi.
- The agreement shall be governed by the laws of Indian
Republic.
(c): Media Lab Asia would be implemented by a non-profit
organization . The process of setting up the non-profit
organization is in progress and is expected to be completed by
August 2001.