WORLD TRADE WT/LDC/HL/20
23October 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4667)
High-Level Meeting onIntegrated Initiatives for
Least-Developed Countries 'Trade Development
COMMUNICATION FROM INDIA
India’sInitiatives inCapacity andInstitutional Building and
Human Resource Development ofLeast-Developed Countries
Note forInformation
1. India isdeeply committed toSouth-South cooperation andupliftment ofLeast Developed
Countries (LDCs). India hasbeeninactive cooperation withother developing countries, particularly
leastdeveloped countries, toprovide them withanopportunity todraw upon theIndian experience
andwork towards self-reliance. Towards thisendeavour, Government ofIndia hasprogrammes/plans
suchasIndianTechnicalandEconomicCooperation(ITEC),SpecialCommonwealthAfricanAssistance
Plan(SCAAP) andTechnical Cooperation Scheme (TCS) oftheColombo Plan. India alsoextends
technical assistance toourneighbouring leastdeveloped countries andinthepastassistance hasbeen
provided forinstitutional andhuman capacity building. India issubmitting thiscommunication tothe
WTO withaview tocontributing tothesuccessful outcome oftheHigh-Level Meeting onLDCs
scheduled tobeheldinGeneva inOctober 1997. Aswillbeevident fromthiscommunication, inspite
offacing resource constraints ofherown, India hasbeen actively involved inenhancing the
implementation oftechnical assistance programmes aimed towards human andinstitutional capacity
building, which, interalia,areaimed tosupport LDCs intheirtrade andtrade-related activities.
2. UNCTAD hasestablished aTrust Fund forLeast Developed Countries (LDCs) tohelpthem
integrate intheWorld economy. Technical activities tobeundertaken under theTrust Fund willfocus
onstrengthening export supply capacities through thedevelopment ofintegrated country level
programmes. Suchprogrammes mayinclude support fortradepolicy reform andtradediversifications
andfinancial andfiscal sector reforms. Despite India’sconstraints onresources, India iscontributing
US$100,000 totheUNCTAD Trust Fund forLDCs.
3. TheITEC Programme isaimed atcooperation withdeveloping countries, other thanthe
immediate neighbours withwhom India hasindividual bilateral Technical Assistance Programmes.
TheITEC programme isadministered onGovernment toGovernment andbilateral basis andextends
toaround 110countries inAsia, Africa, EastEurope andLatin America. Many ofthese countries
areLeast Developed Countries (LDCs). Theprogramme addresses itselftofinding solutions tocommon
developmental problems, andisthevehicle through which India seeks toshare herdevelopmental
experience andexpertise withpartner countries. Thecurrent financial yearbudget fortheprogramme
isabout Rs.150 million. [Copies ofanInformation Booklet ontheITEC Programme areavailable with
theTrade andDevelopment Division oftheWTO Secretariat fortheready reference ofinterested
Members].
4. TheITEC Programme hasfivemain components:
(a) Training: Slotsareprovided tothenationals ofother developing countries particularly
LDCs inprestigious Indian Technical Training Institutions fordevelopment ofWT/LDC/HL/20
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institutional infrastructure, applied industrial technology, advanced technology and
special areas. More than20,000 foreign nationals havebeentrained inIndia since
inception oftheprogramme. Ahighpercentage ofthese slotsareutilized byLDCs.
(b) Feasibility Studies andConsultancy Services :Thepartner countries areassisted in
ascertaining theviability ofproposed projects andensuring better management of
resources.
(c) Project Assistance: Through these projects, India seeks toshare hertechnology and
enhancescientific&technologicalcapabilitiesofpartnercountries.Keyprojectsinclude
constructionofhospitals,developmentofindustrialestates,establishmentofuniversities,
research institutions. Laboratories andvocational training centres. Project assistance
hasinrecent pastbeenrendered toseveral leastdeveloped countries.
(d) Deputation ofIndian experts abroad: Indian experts aredeputed topartner countries
toassist indevelopmental activities, inresponse tospecific requests infields asdiverse
asagriculture, planning, trade, telecommunications, water resources, education,
engineering, etc.Several LDCs arebeneficiaries under thiscomponent.
(e) Study Tours ofForeign Decision Makers toIndia: Delegations frompartner countries
areinvited tovisitIndiatogaininsights intoIndia’seconomic andtechnical capabilities.
Suchvisits facilitate transfer oftechnology andestablishment oftechnical andeconomic
linkages between India andthepartner countries.
5. While theITEC Programme hasaglobal orientation, theSCAAP programme, concentrates
exclusively on15Commonwealth African countries andhasanannual budget ofabout Rs.50 million.
India extends technical andeconomic cooperation under theSCAAP programme bywayofimparting
training tonationals ofCommonwealth African Countries. Approximately 400trainees come toIndia
annually under thisprogramme. Since many Commonwealth African Countries, likeIndia, follow
thesimilar Parliamentary System ofGovernment andhavesimilar systems ofAdministration, special
programmes inthefields ofDevelopment Administration andConstitutional &Parliamentary studies
arealsoorganized fornationals ofthese countries. Indian experts arealsobeing deputed totraining
institutions incountries covered under theSCAAP programme. Theterms andconditions forSCAAP
areidentical tothose governing theITEC programme.
6. Under theTechnical Cooperation Scheme (TCS)of theColombo Plan, there aremore than
400slotsonanannual basis, forcountries inAsiaandPacific Region forlong-term training inIndia.
India hasalsomade financial contributions totheCommonwealth Fund forTechnical Cooperation.
7. India hasastrong baseofeducational, technical andresearch institutions which haveplayed
akeyroleinbuilding strong baseofskilled andtechnical manpower inIndia. Indiabelieves insharing
thefacilities oftheseinstitutions withleastdeveloped countries andotherdeveloping countries toimpart
skills which willenable these countries tosuccessfully address theirdevelopmental problems. Alist
ofsome oftheleading training institutions which could beutilized fordevelopment ofhuman resources
ofLeast Developed Countries invarious fields isannexed. Similarly, Indian expertise invarious fields
could beeffectively utilized fortraining/consultancy intheLeast Developed Countries.
Enhancing trade opportunities forLDCs:
8. Under Article 10oftheSAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement special treatment isallowed
toLeast Developed Contracting States. AllMembers ofSAPTA arerequired toprovide wherever
possible special andmore favourable treatment exclusively toLDCs inregard to:WT/LDC/HL/20
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(i) dutyfreeaccess, exclusive tariffpreference ordeeper tariffpreferences fortheexport
products
(ii) theremoval ofnon-tariff barriers
(iii) theremoval, where appropriate, ofpara-tariff barriers
(iv) thenegotiations oflong-term contracts withaview toassisting Least Developed
Contracting States toachieve reasonable levels ofsustainable exports oftheirproducts.
(v) special consideration ofexports from Least Developed Contracting States inthe
application ofsafeguard measures.
(vi) greaterflexibilityintheintroductionandcontinuanceofquantitativeorotherrestrictions
provisionallyandwithoutdiscriminationincriticalcircumstancesbytheLeastDeveloped
Contracting States onimports from other Contracting States.
India hasimplemented theabove Article inletter andspirit. Tariff preference upto100percenthave
beengranted totheSAARC LDC Members onproducts oftheirexport interest. India hassofar
granted tariff concessions on574tariff linesexclusively fortheLDC Members.
9. Under Global System ofTrade Preferences (GSTP), preferential access hasbeengiven to
7LDCs, namely, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Benin, Guinea, Haiti, Mozambique andSudan. Similarly,
under theBangkok Agreement, Bangladesh isgiven preferential access asaLDC. Besides imports
from Myanmar &Nepal alsohavepreferential access toIndia under different bilateral agreements.WT/LDC/HL/20
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ANNEX
Some oftheLeading Training Institutions inIndia
Institute Area ofSpecialization
1. Administrative Staff College ofIndia,
HyderabadManagement
2. Advanced Level Telecommunication
Training Centre, GhaziabadTelecommunication
3. Bureau ofIndian Standards, New Delhi Quality Management &
Standardization
4. Bureau ofParliamentary Studies &
Training, New DelhiParliamentary Studies
5. Central Scientific Instruments
Organization, New DelhiInstrumentation
6. CMC Ltd,New Delhi Computer Software/Hardware
7. Comptroller &Auditor General ofIndia,
New DelhiAuditing &Accounts
8. Central Fertilizer Quality Control &
Training Institute, Faridabad, HaryanaFertilizer Quality Control
9. Central Sericulture Research &Training
Institute, Mysore, KarnatakaSericulture
10. Central Poultry Training Institute,
Bangalore, KarnatakaPoultry Management &Farm
Economics
11. Central Food Technological Research
Institute, MysoreFood Technology
12. Central Institute ofTool Design, Hyderabad Tool designing
13. Electronics Trade andTechnology
Development Corporation Limited,
Technology &Applications, New DelhiComputer Software
14. Fluid Control Research Institute,
Palghat, KeralaFluid Flow Measurement &Control
Techniques
15. TheGandhigram Institute ofRural Health
andFamily welfare Trust, TamilnaduPublic Health, Nutrition &Dietetics
16. Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi Diplomacy
17. Human Settlement Management Institute,
New DelhiUrban Development Management
18. Institute ofGovernment Accounts &
Public Expenditure Finance, New DelhiManagement
19. International Management Institute, New
DelhiManagementWT/LDC/HL/20
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20. Institute forFinancial Management &
Financial Research, Chennai, TamilnaduManagement
21. Indian Institute ofProduction Management,
OrissaProduction Management
22. Indian Institute ofPackaging, Mumbai Packaging
23. Institute ofApplied Manpower Research,
New DelhiManpower Planning
24. Indian Institute ofMass Communication,
New DelhiMass Communication
25. Indian Institute ofForeign Trade, New
DelhiInternational Trade
26. National Crime Records Bureau,
New DelhiAdvanced Crime Records
Management
27. National Institute ofBank Management,
PuneBanking Management
28. National Institute ofRural Development,
HyderabadRural Development
29. National Institute ofSmall Industry
Extension Training, HyderabadSmall Industry management
30. National Institute forEntrepreneurship &
Small Business Development, New DelhiEntrepreneurship development
andSmall Business Development
31. National Informatics Centre, New Delhi Information Technology
32. National Institute ofEducational Planning
&Administration, New DelhiEducation Planning &
Administration
33. South India Textile Research Association,
Coimbatore, TamilnaduTextile Industry Management
34. Technical Teachers ’Training Institute,
Chennai, TamilnaduTeachers ’Training