NEW DELHI ESTH OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF August 6

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 003676 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS STATE FOR STAS DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, HICKEY AND VALDEZ NIH FOR GLASS AND MAMPILLY FDA FOR LUMPKIN AND WELSCH CDC FOR BLOUNT AND FARRELL INTERIOR FOR FWS RILEY STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV TSPL TBIO ECON SOCI KSCA IN SUBJECT: NEW DELHI ESTH OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF August 6 - 11, 2007 REF A: New Delhi 3603 REF B: New Delhi 3668 REF C: New Delhi 3594 NEW DELHI 00003676 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: This week the ESTH office coordinated a climate change event for CODEL Lieberman, hosted STAFFDEL Killion, also in New Delhi on climate change, attended a workshop on creating a Global Environmental Entity, attended the IIT New Delhi Convocation, noted Battelle's intention to enter the Indian R&D scene and a Chikungunya outbreak in Kolkata, and also reported on methods to improve clean technology transfer. End Summary. -------------- ENVIRONMENT -------------- ¶2. (U) India: Removing Clean Technology Barriers. The ESTH Office reported in Ref A on methods that could be used in India to raise awareness of climate change in order to create incentives for clean technology. ¶3. (U) SciOff served on a panel at a workshop on creating a Global Environmental Entity hosted by the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Centre for International Legal Studies. The discussion centered on whether the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) should be elevated to the status of a special organization pursuant to the French proposal to create a UN Environmental Organization (UNEO) with regulatory control over world environmental issues. France, China, Canada, India, and the EU were represented on the panel. SciOff delivered the U.S. position in favor of strengthening the UNEP but against the creation of a UNEO and despite an impassioned speech by the French Science Counselor in favor of a UNEO, Indian participants including professors, government officials, and students sided with the U.S. position. ¶4. (U) SciCouns and SciFSN coordinated and attended a meeting on global climate change between Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),an international energy and environment research organization. The details of the meeting can be found in Ref B. -------------- SCIENCE -------------- ¶5. (U) SciCouns attended the IIT Delhi Annual Convocation on August 11 where Mr. Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, delivered the convocation address. The ceremony was presided over by Professor Ramamurthy, Chairperson, Board of Governors and former Secretary, Department of S&T. Mr. Ahluwalia challenged the SIPDIS graduating class to develop innovative and affordable solutions to the problems of water supply, environment, and clean energy and looked forward to a larger presence of IIT alumni in the parliament. Ramamurthy emphasized the role of interdisciplinary research and lamented the fact that India is facing a critical shortage of qualified faculty, stating that it is a "disaster in the making" and that something needs to be done on "a war footing." This shortage has a direct bearing on teaching as well as research at the technical institutions in India and echoes the concerns expressed by Professor Balaram of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore (Ref C). ¶6. (U) At the IIT Delhi Convocation, SciCouns also learned there is more news regarding the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) as well as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM). In addition to NEW DELHI 00003676 002.2 OF 002 the three new campuses approved in the states of Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Planning Commission has proposed a seven-year (2007-2014) special plan which includes setting up five additional IITs and seven new IIMs. The annual Times (UK) Higher Education rankings placed IITs at 57 and IIMs at 68 among the world's top 200 universities. IITs placed third (after MIT and UC Berkeley) in the list of top technical universities. Apart from the IITs, there is also a plan to break ground for five new Indian Institutes of Science, Education and Research (IISER),bringing the total number of IISERs to eight counting the three already established in Kolkata, Pune and Chandigarh. -------------- TECHNOLOGY -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The Battelle Board of Directors approved the formation of Battelle-India on August 9, 2007. Battelle is a global S&T enterprise that develops and commercializes technologies and manages national laboratories. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle is organized along 3 business lines: S&T International (focus on energy and environment, health and life sciences, national security, and transportation and space),Laboratory Operations (management of 5 DOE national Labs),and Commercial Ventures. Battelle has a staff of 20,000 and an annual budget of $3.7B. The R&D Center in India will complement its activities in the U.S., Europe (which is slated to be closed) and Asia. The company has identified Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Cochin and Trivandrum as potential locations. SciCouns has been working closely with Battelle representatives in this regar and has hosted 2 visits in December, 2006 and June, ¶2007. Contrary to earlier reports, establishment of Battelle-India will be strictly a venture of its S&T International Division and is not/not related to its Laboratory Operations. -------------- HEALTH -------------- ¶8. (U) After taking a toll in Kerala, Chikungunya infection has now struck Kolkata in West Bengal. The mosquito-borne disease has resurfaced in the city after a period of more than four decades. According to local media reports, over 750 people in Habra have reported to government health centers with high fever, skin rashes and severe joint pains. Researchers at InQ Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have confirmed that blood samples obtained from different parts of the city (central Kolkata and Beliaghata area) have tested positive for Chikungunya infection. WHITE