Address of Hon L.D.Dookun-Luchoomun
Minister of Education & Human Resources, Tertiary
Education & Scientific Research
ITEC Day Celebration
27 March 2015
I deem it a pleasure and privilege to be invited here today
as the Chief Guest of this function organized by the
Indian High Commission to mark the ITEC Day and also
celebrate the 50 plus years of the existence of the
Programme.
To be very frank, when I saw the invitation signed by HE
the High Commissioner, Shri Mudgal, my acquiescence
was immediate.
It is not just because we, Mauritians, had been recently
honoured to have Shri Narainduth Modi in our midst for
the Independence and Republic Day celebrations.
It was not just because India and Mauritius have for long
enjoyed extraordinarily close, strong and friendly
relations. In point of fact, our exchanges in the fields of
culture, trade & business as well as knowledge date back
to the 19th century.
Nor because India has today positioned itself as a major
power on the global scene and it is, as we well know, one
of the main investment partners of Mauritius.
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We are indeed home to a number of Indian corporates
operating across various sectors. These are brand
names-- the State Bank of India, Baroda Bank, the Life
Insurance Corporation of India, New India Assurance,
Oberoi Hotel, Infosys, Fortis, , , Ajanta Pharma and
Apollo Clinic are just a few of these.
So the bonds are really unshakeable and indissoluble.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The real reason I immediately knew that that was an
invitation I could not refuse was because of what the
flagship Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation
( ITEC ) programme and its corollary, the Special
Commonwealth Assistance for Africa programme
( SCAAP) stand for.
We all know that, in quite a few cases, technical support
from partners – whether bilateral or institutional
partners—has often resulted in an unwanted situation in
many developing countries.
The hitch is that there has been no alignment between
the development plans of the beneficiary country and
the objectives and goals of partners.
With ITEC , you will all agree, things are different.
ITEC has demonstrated over the years that an increased
effectiveness of technical cooperation is directly
proportional to the degree of achievement of a common
development objective.
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Allow me to take this further.
You, as past participants in the ITEC programme, are all
aware of the philosophy behind the ITEC which is “to
establish relations of mutual concern and interdependence based not only on commonly held ideals and
aspirations, but also on solid economic foundations.”
I would like to latch on to one word from that quote that,
to me, is vitally important.
It is the word “inter-dependence”.
In fact, this may be a simple lexical item but it is loaded
with many deeper layers of meanings.
One of these implied meanings is the principle of respect
between two countries, irrespective of geographical size
or demographics. This is mutual respect at its best.
Another is the mutual understanding that bonds two
countries.
But I especially appreciate another underlying
significance the word carries: the real virtue lies in
generating
true
independence
through
interdependence.
A critical examination of the ITEC/ SCAAP programme
does indeed reveal that the empowerment of people was -and remains-- at the very core of its activities.
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As a proponent of South-South collaboration, India
firmly believes in developing individual or collective
capacity in other developing countries of the South
through cooperative exchanges of knowledge, skills,
resources, and technologies.
And this, it has done over the years for Mauritius as
well—and you, ladies and gentlemen, are ample proof of
that.
In effect, I am told that the total number of ITEC slots for
only the period of 2014-15 for Mauritius has been 174 on
the Civil side and 123 on the Defence side.
Your Excellency, Ladies and gentlemen
As Minister of Education & Human Resources, I am all
too aware of the importance of Continuous Professional
Development and Capacity Building of our human
resources.
This is a priority – and it grows by the day as we
commence envisaging massive investment in new growth
poles.
The Budget for 2016 has highlighted some of those –the
creation of ‘technopoles’/smart cities, the transformation
of the Port into a regional Hub and the bunkering
process, the Ocean Economy, the Agro-industry.
These are domains where we can be ‘avant gardist’, in
the forefront even, since we have a cosmopolitan and
highly educated population and a culture of hard work.
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Capacity Building and Talent Development and
Innovation are hence likely to be part of new mindsets.
This calls for a transformation of the human capital into
economic opportunity, especially with regard to the
employability of the youth and the strengthening of
entrepreneurial and transformational skills.
A reinforced Economic and Technical Cooperation under
the ITEC programme will thus prove to be more than
salutary.
It will promote horizontal cooperation, while also
strengthening the institutional capacity of Mauritius to
face the new and emerging challenges.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me conclude on this positive and optimistic note.
You are most of you wonderful examples of how the
ITEC/ SCAAP training has become a major landmark in
your careers and your domains of specialization.
Your hands-on approach to the several programmes and
projects you have responsibility for has certainly yielded
tangible results in your specified field.
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I firmly believe that the process does not end once a
training phase is over. It is important also to remember
that whatever knowledge and experience are acquired
and whatever opportunities are made available, these
must be disseminated and shared among peers.
So, may I, on your behalf and in my own name, thank
His Excellency, the High Commissioner and, through
him, the Government of India, for their unflinching and
unstinted support to build up the resilience in the
human capital of Mauritius.
I thank you all for your kind attention.
.
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