Gates foundation donates $700,000 for Kashmir flood victims

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has donated $700,000 for the flood victims in Jammu and Kashmir, a statement said on Friday.

The announcement was made by Bill Gates after he called on Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh here to discuss "mutually shared areas of interest".

According to the statement, Gates and Singh, who also has charge of science and technology ministry, talked about shared areas of focus, including the existing memorandum of understanding between the foundation and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the ministry.

The initiative promotes Indian innovations in the areas such as sanitation and malnutrition, to help all children survive, thrive and reach their full potential, said the statement.

"I share the minister’s belief in the power of technology to change the world and I applaud his commitment to harnessing the power of Indian innovation to save lives," Gates said.