ITEC Day-2021 - 14 December 2021

Remarks by Ambassador Amit Narang

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Assalam Wa’Aleikum,

Namaskar,

At the outset, I wish to convey my sincere gratitude to H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Obaid Al Saidi, Hon’ble Minister of Health, Sultanate of Oman for agreeing to be our Chief Guest for this celebration of ITEC Day-2021.

I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to Mr. Sheikh Mohammed Ahmed Salem Al Shanfari, Minister Plenipotentiary and Chief of the West Asia Department and Mr. Malallah Mahmood Al-Balushi, Acting Head of Human Resources Department, MOFA.

We are also delighted to welcome the distinguished ITEC alumni who we consider our special friends.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In Indian culture and tradition, acquisition and practice of knowledge is considered a noble vocation, equal in status to meditation on the Almighty and higher than the ideals of pursuing wealth and pleasure. More importantly though, Indian culture has traditionally also emphasized that sharing of knowledge is equally important.

This thought is beautifully expressed in one of our ancient texts as:

अपूरà¥Âà¤µà¤ï¿½' कोऽपि कोशोऽयं विदà¥Âà¤¯à¤¤à¥† तव भारति à¥¤
वà¥Âà¤¯à¤¯à¤¤à¥‹ वà¥ï¿½'दà¥Âà¤§à¤¿à¤®à¤¾à¤¯à¤¾à¤¤à¤¿ à¤•à¥Âà¤·à¤¯à¤®à¤¾à¤¯à¤¾à¤¤à¤¿ सà¤Å¾à¥Âà¤šà¤¯à¤¾à¤¤à¥Â ॥

The repository of knowledge is like no other.  

It shrinks if collected, but grows when shared.

The ITEC program that we are celebrating today is a manifestation of this ancient philosophy of India, which emphasizes not just acquisition bur sharing of knowledge on the same footing.

Under the ITEC programme, India shares its knowledge and know-how for capacity building of other developing countries. It is however, not a one-way or a top-down process. It is a collaborative process in which India also gains by the sharing of knowledge and experience that this process facilitates.

As a result of India’s own rapid strides in development in the context of a large democracy, and due to the interactions fostered by ITEC, today there is a visible and growing awareness in the world about competence of India in providing technical know-how, training, skill development, consultancy services, etc.

Under ITEC Programme, over 14,000 diverse training courses are on offer annually to officials and participants from more than 160 countries. Launched in September 1964, the ITEC Programme has emerged as a key vehicle for India’s contribution to the human resource development of partner countries.

India and Oman have historical relations dating back thousands of years, which are underpinned by trade links and people-to-people contacts. In view of the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, it is our hope that training and skill development under India’s ITEC Programme is contributing to Oman’s goals towards developing its human resources and diversification of its economy. Moreover, the ITEC programme has also contributed to encouraging people to people relationships and inter-cultural exchanges between India and Oman.

Over the years, ITEC Programme has received a good response in the Sultanate and hundreds of Omani Officials have taken part in ITEC courses. Government of India has offered 125 slots to Government Officials and others from the Sultanate of Oman, for the period April 2020-March 2021, to undertake short-duration training programmes in a number of fields in reputed Indian Institutes.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted physical travel, Government of India is offering e-ITEC programmes in various premier institutes in diversified fields, which have also been well received in the Sultanate of Oman.

I am also happy to inform that our bilateral cooperation in training extends even beyond ITEC and presently a group of Omani diplomats are in India to attend 1st Special Course for Diplomats. This shows our strong bonding and relationship to work together for mutual benefit and development of our people.

Excellencies,

His Majesty Sultan Haitham’s Oman’s Vision 2040 provides an excellent roadmap and platform to enhance economic competitiveness and social well-being, stimulate growth, and build a new Oman for its citizens.

India will be a reliable partner of Sultanate of Oman to realize the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and ITEC is an ideal mechanism to align with Oman’s Vision 2040.

Skill upgradation, specialized training, human resource development are key priorities of the Oman Government in its journey for Vision 2040, and these can be usefully facilitated by India’s ITEC program.

I also wish to take a moment to thank the ITEC alumni for being here with us today. We hope that the training courses that you attended in India have been useful in your professions. More importantly, I hope the experience that you had in India will connect you as a lifelong friend of India and that you will contribute with your thoughts and efforts towards strengthening India-Oman relations.

This celebration is also an effort to bring all of you together. I invite you to interact with us and your fellow ITEC alumni during this event and keep in touch even after this event.

On behalf of Embassy of India, Muscat, I once again thank the Hon’ble Minister of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Ministries and Organizations in Oman for their support in implementation of the ITEC Programme in Oman.

I also take this opportunity to reiterate India’s commitment to strengthen and expand its strategic partnership with Oman, including in the field of training and skill development in full alignment with Oman’s Vision 2040.

Thank you.