French Institute of Pondicherry

The French Institute of Pondicherry () is a public institution under the joint supervision of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Center for Scientific Research (UMIFRE 21 CNRS-MEAE). Together with the [https://www.csh-delhi.com/ Centre] [https://www.csh-delhi.com/ de Sciences humaines (CSH) in New Delhi], it forms the CNRS's “Savoirs et Mondes indiens” Research Support Unit (USR 3330). Under the terms of Article 24 of the Treaty of Cession of the French Settlements of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahé, and Yanaon signed on May 28, 1956, “the French Institute of Pondicherry, created by agreement between the two governments since the agreement of October 21, 1954, and inaugurated on March 21, 1955, shall be maintained as an institution of research”. As a tool of French scientific diplomacy, it contributes to the study of Indian society and the preservation of India's cultural and natural heritage: in 2005, the IFP's collection of Shaivite manuscripts was included in UNESCO's “Memory of the World” program. It consists of four departments (Indology, Ecology, Social Sciences, and Geomatics) and a library, and houses several scientific collections. Provided by Wikipedia