Expand Resources in Biotechnology for Social Good: Kapil Sibal

Biotechnology has great potential in delivering social goods such as health care, agriculture /animal productivity, employment generation etc. and can contribute to national economy in a big way. The Union Minister for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal stated this while inaugurating the Foundation Day function of the Department of Biotechnology in New Delhi today. Congratulating the staff members of the Department for their untiring and dedicated efforts in promoting biotechnology in India through various schemes /programmes he stressed the need for expanding the physical and technical resources of the department in near future for facing the new challenges and more effective functioning. Observing that the current investments, mechanisms for technology development, transfer and commercialization, skilled human resources are inadequate to realize the full potential, the Minister suggested that venture capitalists, financial institutions, large industries and other Ministries should join the efforts of the Department to boost investments through local, regional and global partnerships.

Shri Kapil Sibal also distributed several awards for outstanding contributions in the field of Biotechnology. These awards were given in different categories such as National Award for Women Bioscientists, Distinguished Biotechnologist Awards and National Bioscience Award for Career Development and Biology Scholarships (for students scoring highest marks in biology at 10+2 level in central and state board examinations and opting for biological courses at graduate level). Prominent awardees included Dr. (Mrs) Manju Sharma, Former Secretary, DBT who was awarded Senior Women Bioscientist Award and Prof. T.P.Singh, Biophysics Department, AIIMS, New Delhi who got the Distinguished Biotechnologist Award.

On the occasion, the Minister also commercially launched the kit for Detection of Filariasis.

Earlier, welcoming the participants, Dr. M.K. Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, highlighted the achievements of the Government in promotion, technology development and commercialization of biotechnology in India. He informed that the Government is keen to promote rapid biotech industrial growth, which is already of US$ 1.5 billion in terms of revenue and is growing at 40 per cent. New schemes are implemented for recognizing, rewarding and nurturing young scientists and students through targeted human resource development programmes such increasing the number of fellowships at M.Sc, Ph.D and Post Doctoral levels, implementation of new fellowships for working scientists such as Tata Innovation Fellowships, Ramalingaswamy fellowships, Rapid innovation project grants (for scientists below the age of 37) and emeritus positions. The Department launched Small Business Innovative Research Initiative (SBIRI) aiming at Public-Private partnership and forging effective links between academia and industry in up scaling and validation of laboratory research to commercialization. The overwhelming response from small and medium industries resulted in 200 applications and 34 proposals have been supported in areas of product development in agriculture, health care, aquaculture and animal sconces.

The Department would be implementing several new programmes next year such as new institutions for translation health science and research, stem cell biology, animal biotechnology, marine sciences and applications, food and nutrition. Time bound, multi-institutional grand challenge programmes are planed in food and nutrition, vaccines and diagnostics, medical devices, molecular breeding of crops for improved yield and quality and microbial bioprospecting. There are also plans for establishment of agri-food parks in the agri-food cluster in Punjab, which would host start-up companies. The department will establish the proposed the Agri Food Biotechnology Institute and a Central Food Bioprocessing Unit in this Punjab agri cluster. To promote small and medium industrial R&D activities and effective functioning of biotechnology parks, a biotechnology industry, research assistance center (BIRAC), and programme for collaboration with large industries, technology management system for biotechnology with technology transfer units will also be setup.

The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India was established on 26th February, 1986. In the function to mark the 21st foundation day today, several dignitaries, directors of premier institutions, Government Officials, Scientists and Students participated.

12 scientists who received the Innovative Young Biotechnologist Awards are : Dr. Yamuna Krishnan, NCBS, Bangalore ;Dr. Sneh Lata Singla-Pareek, ICGEB, New Delhi;Dr. Mrinalini Jayant Puranik, NCBS, Bangalore ;Dr. Madhusudan R.Nandineni, CDFD, Hyderabad; Dr. T. R. Santhosh Kumar, RGCBT, Thiruvananthapuram; Dr. Mukesh Jain, University of Delhi (South Campus), New Delhi; Dr. Madhulika Dixit, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai; Dr. Rupinder Kaur, CDFD, Hyderabad; Dr. V. Sriram,NCBS, Bangalore; Dr. Samudrala Gourinath, JNU, New Delhi; Dr. Manjula Kalia, NCBS, Bangalore; and Dr. S. Swaminathan, SASTRA, Thanjavur

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : March 12, 2007