Biotechnology Regulatory Authority on anvil, says Union Minister

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Union Minister of State for Culture, Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V.Narayanaswamy and Annamalai University Vice-Chancellor M.Ramanathan at the conference in Chidambaram on Monday.  

CUDDALORE: 

        The Centre has proposed to set up Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India to oversee the functions of the proliferating number of institutions in the bio-technology sector, said V.Narayanaswamy, Union Minister of State for Culture, Planning and Parliamentary Affairs.

          He was delivering the inaugural speech at the international conference on “Natural products and biomedical technology” organised by the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of Annamalai University at Chidambaram on Monday.

        The Minister said that there were many players in health research viz., the public and private sectors, autonomous organisations, non-governmental organisations, and, bilateral and multi-lateral agencies. Their number was on the rise and so also was the funding and, therefore better coordination among them was needed to put the resources to judicious use and to evolve strategy to prevent and cure diseases at affordable costs.

           Mr Narayanaswamy said that the fund requirements of the bio-technology in the country for 2010-2011 were put at Rs 1,222 crore. Six new institutions in the areas of stem cell, agri-food biotechnology, animal biotechnology, health sciences, genomics and biotechnology training and education were at various stages of establishment. Two more institutions in the areas of seri-biotechnology and marine biotechnology, and three molecular medicine centres were proposed to be established. He called upon the researches to focus on evolving indigenous and affordable medicines.

             He deplored the lack of health awareness among the people, particularly among the tribals. India was facing challenges on three fronts: heart ailments, cancer and diabetes and the onus was on the institutions to bring out bio-medicines to cure these maladies. Mr Narayanaswamy lauded the vast and wide research activities of Annamalai University and offered to make use of its expertise in the spheres of space technology and atomic energy.

Vice-Chancellor M.Ramanathan said that almost all 50 departments of the university were focusing on research activity.

         He called for strengthening the research activity on Ayurvedic medicines and also on the utility of natural products. Dr. Ramanathan called for increased focus on to tapping natural sources and natural products. G.S.Lavekar, senior consultant, National Medicinal Plants Board, New Delhi, T.Balasubramanian, Dean, Faculty of Marine Sciences, K.V.Pugalendi, Professor and Head, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, and P.Subramanian, organising secretary, spoke.

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Call to address bio-safety concern of genetically modified crops

CUDDALORE:

               Biotechnology cannot be a panacea for the problems confronting the agricultural sector. At the most it can be part of a solution, but, thus far it is being pushed in the wrong direction, said B.Vasantraj David, a leading pesticides scientist.

               Biotechnology is being touted as the successor to chemicals as a miracle technology, a quick fix, rather than an integral part of a shift to sustainable agriculture. Mr. David was delivering a special address at the national workshop on “Paradigm shifts in research on crop resistance to pests” organised by the Department of Entomology of the Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, at Chidambaram on Thursday.

                  He said that the transgenic crops, however, had not found ready acceptance among the people at large. Biosafety concerns were the major reasons for non-adoption of transgenic crops in most countries. Mr. David, former national president of the Pesticides Association of India who has authored several books on pesticides, said that these concerns included transgene movement to other varieties and wild relatives leading to possible development of super weeds, erosion of genetic diversity and ecological disturbances. Similarly, there was widespread apprehension that transgene products could be toxic or allergenic to humans and animals. Also transgenic crops—pest resistant varieties—could have adverse impact on non-target organisms.

                Emergence of more virulent forms of pests and pathogens was also an important concern. He pointed out that already some insect populations, e.g., diamondback moth, had become resistant to the Bt toxin after prolonged exposure. It meant that Bt would no longer be effective in controlling a particular pest population. Therefore, Mr. David who is currently president of the Sun Agro Biosystems Ltd, Chennai, said the traits to be altered and strategies to be adopted should be carefully considered to minimise the biosafety risks. He emphatically said that the transgenic crops should not be viewed in isolation, but, should form part of the overall national agricultural policy. It was imperative to prioritise the crops and traits to be engineered and strategies to be adopted, Mr. David added. P. Narayanasamy, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, laid stress on increased productivity and reduced pesticide usage. The brinjal variety “Annamalai” released by the faculty was extensively grown in the State. He called upon the farm scientists to address the issues arising out of the proposed commercial usage of Bt. brinjal. J.S.Bentur, Principal Scientist from the Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad, D. Sundara Raju of the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore, K.S. Mohan of the Monsanto Research Centre, Bangalore, B. Singaravelu of the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, and others participated.

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