LONDON: The best scientific minds from institutions in India and Britain would collaborate in a series of high-end research projects under a new multi-million pound programme, Kapil Sibal, Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, announced here.

Mr. Sibal said a six-member panel, comprising three top scientists each from India and the U.K., would be set up to chalk out a "road map" for collaboration. The details are expected to be ready by October, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is slated to visit London.

The three Indians on the panel would be Prof. C.N.R Rao, chairman, Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister; R.A. Mashelkar, Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and T. Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology.

Britain is yet to name its nominees.

Mr. Sibal said the programme would raise India-U.K. collaboration in science and technology to a "new level" to meet global challenges. The areas proposed for research include the next-generation communications technology, biotechnology and nano technology. There would also be bilateral initiatives in the fields of new energy, weather systems and climate change, the Minister said.

He said the British Government would grant a sum ranging from £6.5 million to £8 million

over five years to fund the research programme. There would be a matching grant from the Indian side too.

Some of the leading institutions likely to be involved in the research are Oxford University, Cambridge University, Imperial College, London, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Mr. Sibal, who held talks with Britain's Science Minister Lord Sainsbury and the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser David King, said an Indo-U.K. Science and Technology Innovation Council had been set up to boost cooperation.

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