The Hindu : International : No `soft power' projection by India: Arjun

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 29, 2005

International

International

No `soft power' projection by India: Arjun

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, MARCH 28. The Union Human Resource Development Minister, Arjun Singh, today disputed the perception that India was seeking to project its "soft power" abroad through knowledge-based diplomacy.

The concept of "soft power," made popular by diplomatic experts such as Joseph Nye with reference to the United States, applies to exercising influence over other countries through non-military means such as scientific and other skills and also values such as democracy.

Mr. Singh was talking to mediapersons after declaring open the Mahatma Gandhi Centre of Values and Thoughts at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan here. He launched a regional "nodal centre" of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), at the same venue. He also unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

In his speech, he said that India would enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the City-State for the launch of academic activities here by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, in association with the National University of Singapore.

On India's alleged efforts to project externally its "soft power" of knowledge-related skills, Mr. Singh said that he would "not use the word power." He said that "soft power" denoted "connotations far removed from the ethos of education."

India's specialised collaboration with Singapore and other countries also did not reflect any bid to make "inroads" in their knowledge-related domains.

"Sky is the limit"

He said that the "sky is the limit" for education-driven cooperation between India and Singapore. New Delhi was sharing with other countries mutual "concerns and experiences" in the knowledge sector.

Asked whether India was beginning to face competition from other countries in its niche sectors of information technology and related skills, the Minister said: "India will hold its own place" and go in for "greater excellence."

Those who spoke on the Bhavan's activities, with reference to Singapore, included the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan president, Pravinchandra Gandhi, Justice C.S. Dharmadhikari, Vice-Chairman of the Governing Board and the Principal of the Bhavan's Indian International School here, Atul Temurnikar and Nandakumar.

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