Embassy of India, Nur-Sultan organized a reception to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of ITEC programme and mark ICCR Day on 10th March, 2015 at Radisson Hotel, Nur-Sultan. H.E. Mr. Askar Mussinov, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Kazakhstan, was the Chief Guest at the function.
The programme was attended by more than 100 ITEC and ICCR alumni from Kazakhstan, representatives of the local government, journalists and other friends of India. Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan H.E. Shri Harsh Kumar Jain and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Askar Mussinov addressed the gathering.
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Jain described the ITEC programme as “a visible symbol of India’s role and contribution to South-South cooperation and a fundamental pillar of India’s foreign policy”. Referring to the activities of Indian Cultural Centre, Nur-Sultan, he said that the Centre has become a major vehicle of cultural exchanges between the two countries. He also mentioned about the initiative of Prime Minister of India on yoga which led to declaration of June 21 as the ‘International Day of Yoga” by United Nations.
Mr. Mussinov said that ITEC and ICCR scholarships are not just training programmes but also tools for development of bilateral relations and strengthening of people-to-people contacts between Kazakhstan and India. He added that India has a rich experience in the development of human resources and technology that meets the requirements of the modern world. He said that Kazakhstan has also reached a stage of economic development where it can now extend aid to lesser developed countries. In this connection, he mentioned about setting up of a new agency “KazAID” by Government of Kazakhstan in 2014 to oversee the activities of Kazakhstan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme.
Several ITEC and ICCR alumni came forward and shared their experiences with the audience. They gave a vivid description of their unforgettable experiences in India and said that the ITEC/ICCR programmes have helped them upgrade their skills. They expressed deep gratitude to the Government of India for giving them the opportunity to study in the best institutions of India.
A short documentary film on the ITEC programme was also screened on the occasion. The cultural part of the programme included a demonstration of a sequence of 18 advanced yoga postures (Asanas) by Dr. Brijesh Kumar Gupta, the Yoga Instructor, Indian Cultural Centre, Nur-Sultan and a scintillating performance of classical dance by Ms. Akmaral Kainazarova, Director of Centre for Indian Classical Dances, Almaty.
