Question : COOPERATION IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

(a) whether India has participated in the ASEAN Agricultural Minister level meeting, held in the past in Kuala Lumpur;

(b) if so, the details of the issues discussed and the decisions taken during the said meeting;

(c) the details of the exchanges between researchers and policy makers which took place after the 2nd Ministerial level meeting held in 2012;

(d) the details of the areas of cooperation especially in research and education, so far undertaken between the ASEAN nations and India in the past; and

(e) the extent to which India has been benefited from such cooperation?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI TARIQ ANWAR)

(a): Yes, Madam.

(b): 1. The meeting considered and adopted the Report and Recommendations of the co-chairs of the ASEAN India Working Group on Agriculture and Forestry, presented by the ASEAN Co-chairs of the Working Group.

2. The meeting noted the significant progress on the implementation of the Medium Term Programme of Action for the ASEAN India Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry (2011-2015). The meeting agreed to enhance ASEAN-India cooperation in agriculture, especially to address challenges of food security through capacity building, agricultural education, and research and development.

(c) & (d): The details are shown in the Annexure.

(e): The cooperation has facilitated promotion of joint efforts for development of human resource and technologies for increasing production and productivity of crops, livestock and fish, natural resource management, post harvest technology and value addition etc.