New Delhi, Jun 8 (IANS): The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), India, a professional body for joint research on air quality and climate change.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has apprised of the signing of MoU to establish collaborative guidelines between NIES and ARIES. No such MoUs were signed by the ARIES, Nainital in the similar areas of research with any other foreign bodies in the past.

Some of the possible activities under MoU are joint use and operation of scientific instruments, exchange of scientific and technical information on observing methods, joint analysis of observational data and making scientific reports, joint educational and research activities, exchange of visiting scholars, including PhD students for the purpose of conducting research and joint scientific workshops and/or seminars.

The ARIES is an autonomous research Institute established under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. ARIES is a centre of excellence for research in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences. It carries out research on air pollution and climate change on earth, formation and evolution of sun, stars and galaxies.

The NIES is Japan's only research institute that undertakes a broad range of environmental research in an interdisciplinary and comprehensive manner.

The NIES works to produce scientific findings on environmental protection.

It is working on research projects that include consolidating the institute's research foundation through basic research, data acquisition and analysis, preservation and provision of environmental samples.