A Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), to usher the “programme based research support” in addressing current and future global and local developmental challenges, was signed yesterday on Thursday, 22 February, 2018 at New Delhi between Shri S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary (Bilateral Cooperation), Department of Economic Affairs and Dr. Jean Lebel, the President of IDRC, Canada.

During the signing ceremony, Indian side appreciated the contribution of IDRC in supporting quality research in various fields including finance, agriculture, industry and health in India.

Since 1972, IDRC has funded 551 research activities worth CA$159 million in India through institutions, researchers and NGOs. During the last five years (2012-17), 96 research projects worth CA$ 51 million were funded by the IDRC in India.

Memorandum of Understanding establishes programme-based research support to strengthen collaborative development research and capacity-building. Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and Canada's International Development Research Centre establishes a framework for programme based research support to address global and local developmental challenges, committing the parties to cooperative research activities and capacity-strengthening across areas such as finance, agriculture, industry and health.