NEW DELHI — The Philippines commended the Indian Government for setting up a post-graduate Fellowship program that will support studies in premier Indian agricultural academic institutions by students from the 10 ASEAN Member States.

The ASEAN-India Fellowship for Higher Education In Agriculture and Allied Sciences was formally launched on 14 August at the National Agriculture Science Center (NASC) Complex in New Delhi.

Under the program, 10 Fellowships will be given out per year for the next five years to students from ASEAN Member States, to enable them to study and earn a two-year Master's Degree in Agriculture and Allied Sciences from participating Indian higher education institutions. The Fellowship is being offered from beginning academic year 2024-25.

Philippine Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio keynoted the event, together with Indian Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other officials.

The Philippines was given prominence in recognition of its position as current “Country Coordinator” for ASEAN-India ties, a responsibility it took over from Singapore in July this year.

Joining them onstage were other dignitaries, namely, State Ministers for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary and Ram Nath Thakur, Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (Indo-Pacific) Paramita Tripathi, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Director General Dr. Himanshu Pathak. 

The event’s guests, meanwhile, included other ASEAN Heads of Mission and diplomats, officials of ICAR and Indian State agricultural universities participating in the Fellowship, other MEA officials, and Indian and foreign students. 

Joining Ambassador Ignacio on the Philippine side were Embassy Economic Officer (Third Secretary and Vice Consul) Melissa Anne M. Telan and Attaché Rina Isabel P. de Chavez.

The program is being implemented by India under the rubric of its 'Act East Policy' and Indo-Pacific Vision that seeks to promote comprehensive cooperation with East Asia and the Pacific, and particularly ASEAN.

The Fellowship is seen to foster people-to-people and expert links, particularly among Indian and ASEAN agricultural experts, to enhance understanding of agriculture-related issues of shared interest. 

“(This Fellowship) that we are launching today is the latest shining example of this impactful collaboration between India and ASEAN”, said Ambassador Ignacio. “It affirms our abiding shared commitment to advancing agricultural excellence and collaboration and emphasizes yet again Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of keeping ASEAN at the center of the Act East Policy.”

Currently, around 135 international students are pursuing their degrees at various agricultural universities. END