The government of Odisha has approved the Biotechnology Policy 2024 to create a flourishing ecosystem for the biotech industry. This will further promote higher education, research & infrastructure development in the sector and strengthen the supportive ecosystem for innovation, incubation, investment, income & impact to build enterprises. Association of Biotechnology …
The challenges that India's agriculture faces in the coming years remain enormous. Though we have achieved self-sufficiency in cereal production, we continue to depend on imports for pulses and edible oils. We continue to face the problem of under-nutrition, particularly among our children and women. Ensuring food and nutritional security …
India's economic success has been remarkable; India's agricultural success will follow. Rural India still needs nurturing, not necessarily by just extra funding, but with vision and leadership addressing issues, with down to earth, workable solutions.
Biotechnology offers many benefits, but only nineteen developing countries have commercially approved the planting of genetically engineered crops. Outreach and educational programmes could help prepare stakeholders in developing countries to influence biotechnology policies. Faculty at Michigan State University (MSU) developed a two-week course that was taught 14 times from 2002 …
Since the late 1980s, technological advances and policy reforms have opened up new opportunities for growth in India’s seed and agricultural biotechnology industries. The impacts of such changes have been significant in India’s cotton sector, but less so for the country’s main cereal crops, where both yield and output growth …
Ten months after Rajasthan signed its extraordinary memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with seven biotech seed companies, the state government finds itself caught in a cleft stick. Owing to a series of protests by farmers’ organisations, the government has thought it prudent not to execute the MoUs. At the same time, …
COIMBATORE: To encourage commercial floriculture, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University P. Murugesa Boopathi has urged scientists to create model green houses, with total environmental control, for displaying commercial flower crops. Addressing scientists at a two-day research workshop on horticulture at the university, he said scientists had to identify entrepreneurs …
When we consider that expenditure on medicines in India accounts for 50% to 80% of treatment costs, India’s pharmaceutical success has clearly not translated into availability or affordability of medicines for all. As part of Universal Access to Healthcare, good quality healthcare should be accessible, affordable, and available to all …
With the postponement of a crucial meeting of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) which was to deliberate on field trials of genetically modified seeds, the decision on their commercial release may be delayed further, possibly until the next kharif season. The proposed 110th meeting of GEAC, scheduled for Wednesday, …
This report represents the proceedings of the FAO international technical conference dedicated to Agricultural Biotechnologies in Developing Countries (ABDC-10) that took place in Guadalajara, Mexico on 1-4 March 2010. A major objective of the conference was to take stock of the application of biotechnologies across the different food and agricultural …
Declare State GM organisms-free on the lines of M.P., Bihar. Farmer groups here on Sunday demanded that Rajasthan be declared a genetically modified (GM) organisms-free State on the lines of Madhya Pradesh, which has recently decided to prohibit any environmental release, including field trials, of GM seeds and crops in …
This paper examines the potential health effects of foods derived from genetically modified (GM) plants. While such an important topic, the database on the likely biological effects of GM foods is woefully inadequate. In the absence of safety studies, the lack of evidence that GM food is unsafe cannot be …
The Status of Bt Cotton-the Silver Sixth-in Myanmar, 2010 features a comprehensive overview of the adoption and impact of the introduction of Ngwe chi 6 or Silver Sixth– the long staple insect resistant Bt cotton variety developed using genetic modification technology. The new publication includes the most relevant authoritative statistics …
The Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology (APCoAB) and Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) organized a “Stakeholders’ Interface on GM Food Crops” on 19 May 2011 at National Agricultural Science Complex, New Delhi to deliberate on issues related to adoption of GM food crops in India. The event was …
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the socio-economic impacts of the cultivation and trade of genetically modified (GM) crops, based on the latest available scientific publications.First a global overview is provided. The socio-economic impacts of GM cultivation in Europe are explored in the next part which takes into account …
WHY would a company with a turnover of Rs 9,712 crore and profits of Rs 933 crore want a research loan of less than Rs 10 crore from the government? Ask the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), which has become venture capitalist to well-heeled industry. In a novel scheme that turns …
The Department of Biotechnology is playing venture capitalist to private companies to push agri research. Why would a company with a turnover of Rs 9,712 crore and profits of Rs 933 crore want a research loan of less than Rs 10 crore from the government? Ask the Department of Biotechnology …
THE Central Potato Research Institute conducted field trial for genetically modified potato at its Jalandhar research station between October 2010 and February 2011. But the Punjab government failed to monitor it. As per the Environment Protection Act (EPA) of 1986, it is the responsibility of the State Biotechnology Coordination Committees …
Ahead of the first meeting of an expert committee of scientists to determine the kind of tests to be conducted on genetically-modified brinjal, commonly known as Bt brinjal, a prominent member of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has resigned from the panel. The resignation of P Anand Kumar comes …
