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Context

• India’s Minister for Science & Technology who chaired the 9th BRICS Science & Technology Ministers meet, has called for working towards rightful place for BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) in the Global Innovation Index.
• India is also preparing for the Innovation Cooperation Action Plan 2021-2024 with support from all BRICS countries 

Global Innovation Index

• The Global Innovation Index is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for, and success in, innovation.
• It is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, in partnership with Cornell University, INSEAD, and other organisations and institutions.
• It is based on both subjective and objective data derived from several sources, including the International Telecommunication Union, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
• It was started in 2007 by INSEAD and World Business, a British magazine.
• The index is computed by taking a simple average of the scores in two sub-indices, the Innovation Input Index and Innovation Output Index, which are composed of five and two pillars respectively.
• Each of these pillars describe an attribute of innovation, and comprise up to five indicators, and their score is calculated by the weighted average method.

Innovation Cooperation Action Plan

• All BRICS countries have agreed to the STI-led BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24) proposed by India during 12th Meeting of BRICS S&T Steering Committee.
• Indian had proposed the plan to facilitate sharing of experiences of each other’s innovation ecosystem and networking of innovators and entrepreneurs.
• The BRICS officials discussed in details about the thematic areas for this year’s call for proposals at the meeting and unanimously agreed for collaboration in ten thematic areas.
• The thematic areas included:

1. Transient Astronomical Events and Deep Survey Science,
2. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Technologies for Diagnosis and Treatment,
3. Simulation and Big Data Analytics for Advanced Precision Medicine and Public Healthcare,
4. HPC and Big Data for Sustainable Development: Solving Large Scale Ecological,
5. Climate and Pollution Problems,
6. Innovation and Entrepreneurship on Photonic, Nanophotonics, and Metamaterials for Addressing Bio-medicine,
7. Agriculture, Food Industry and Energy Harvesting Issues,
8. Materials Science and Nanotechnology for Addressing Environmental, Climate Change, Agricultural, Food, and Energy Issues,
9. Renewable Energy including Smart Grid Integration,
10. Ocean and Polar Science and Technology Water Treatment Technology Research in Aeronautics and Aerospace.

• These areas have been recommended by different thematic Working Groups.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1775373

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