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| PM for more interaction between Indian, foreign scholars | | | New Delhi, Feb 3: Stressing that intellectual interaction with other societies was a "hallmark of an open society", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday called upon Indian academics to be more open to dialogue and joint research with their counterparts abroad.
"One of the hallmarks of an open society is its ability and willingness to intellectually engage other societies. Such intellectual interaction is both enriching and educative. I would like our academic communities to be more open to dialogue and joint research with academics from all other countries," he said.
He was addressing a gathering after releasing a book, "Democracy and Diversity: Indian and the American Experience", edited by K. Shankar Bajpai, India's former ambassador to the US.
The book examines democratic institutions in India and the US and studies points of their divergences and convergences as democracies.
"I am happy that this joint intellectual effort of Indian and American scholars focuses on our shared experience with the functioning democracy and its practice in our country," said the prime minister.
Calling upon scholars to look outward, he recalled his student days and in early teaching career when several intellectuals from across the world came to India and worked here.
"Some of the best minds of the post-war period, both in social sciences and in physical sciences, have taught in Indian universities and have written extensively about India. There has been a weakening of that tradition more recently. It is important that as an open society we must revive that tradition.
"I would like in this connection that our visa regime as well as the policies of our universities and research institutions to be more liberal. I am at times disappointed when scholars write to me saying that they have difficulties in getting timely clearances for working on various projects of interest to them," he said.
"Globalization is a reality and we must stand up to it", he added.
Referring to the theme of the book, he noted: "It has become a cliché to refer to India and the US as the world's largest and boldest democracies. There was a time when there was much cynicism in intellectual circles and in diplomatic circles about the relevance of democracy as a cementing force between India and the US.
"However, in more recent years there is growing recognition of the fact that common values are as important as shared interests in defining international relations.
"Our common values are rooted in the practice of our democratic institutions. Both Indians and Americans feel extremely possessive of and jealously guard their democratic inheritance," Manmohan Singh said.
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