<p>Bioimplants and devices sector, also known as the medical device sector, is a key part of the healthcare industry worldwide. The sector covers a wide spectrum of devices including diagnostics, imaging, dental, surgical, ocular, wound care, orthopedic and cardiovascular devices. Although the $250-billion medical device sector is substantially smaller than the $750-billion
<p>Recent approval of Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India for commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal led to an expression of a variety of opinions in the popular media. Biotech News asked some of India’s most respected scientific personalities to comment on the issue of Bt Brinjal and the controversy
<p>Agriculture in India has been a part of its rich historical tradition going back thousands of years. The fact that those who till the land and make India a leading agricultural country, the farmers, need certain protection of rights needs, to be looked into. Their efforts in conservation, improvement and preservation of various crops over the years have been commendable. </p>
<p>Brinjal commonly known as eggplant, aubergine or guinea squash, is an important vegetable crop of tropical and temperate parts of the world. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals, especially iron. Besides being used as an important vegetable, eggplant has been exploited extensively in traditional medicine. </p>
<p>With environmental clearance from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests in place, Bt-Brinjal has taken an important step towards its widespread cultivation. As is expected, a variety of views, supportive as well as those advocating caution have been expressed regarding the introduction of Bt-brinjal.
<p>The Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company Limited, popularly known as Mahyco, has a remarkable history in many ways. It was set up in 1964 by a man with farming but no business experience, and at a time when public sector research institutions and government seed companies dominated Indian agriculture. </p>
India's first butterfly park, also the largest in the world, was opened to pubic in November, 2006 at Bangalore. Biotech News requested some of the people involved in the establishment of this unique facility, to re-visit the park and provide a feedback.
Banana is a common horticultural crop in the Sunderbans region though there are hardly any cultivation of proven commercial elite varieties that can yield much higher incomes per unit of area under the crop.
