(a) whether ICSSR has decided to set a mechanism to build ties with Pakistan;
(b) if so, whether first Indo-Pak Social Scientists Conference was held recently;
(c) if so, the main decision taken and the details of the recommendations made in the conference;
(d) whether the decisions taken in the Conference have been forwarded to the Government; and
(e) if so, the steps being taken to implement them?
THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. MURLI MANOHAR JOSHI)
(a) According to ICSSR there is no such proposal.
(b) An Indo-Pak Social Scientists’ Meet was organised in
New Delhi during July, 2001, in which over 100 delegates
from India and Pakistan participated.
(c) It was decided that India and Pakistan should
take steps to discourage cross-border tension, create
institutional arrangements for regular dialogue in
economic, social and military security matters, and
encourage free flow of information and collaborative
research programmes to solve common problems.
Continuous dialogue between scientists, technologists
and business groups through meetings and seminars was
considered essential.
(d)&(e) The recommendations of the Indo-Pak Social
Scientists Conference are still awaited from ICSSR.