Lok Sabha Question No. 3667 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-07
Subject: R&D in Bio-Technology
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: BHARATENDRA SINGH, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3667 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07/12/2016

## R & D in Bio-Technology

## 3667.   KUNWAR BHARATENDRA:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT;

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

## Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has introduced any scheme with collaboration of Industry to promoting  Research  and  Development  (R&D)  in  the  potential  areas  of  bio-technology including agriculture;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the funds earmarked for this purpose during the current five year plan;
- (d)  whether  the  Union  Government  has  sanctioned  the  National  Bio-Diversity  Action Plan and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  further  action  being  taken  by  the  Government  in  order  to  promote  private  sector participation  in  research  and  development  in  bio-technology  and  its  utilization  in different sectors?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (Y. S. Chowdary)

- (a) and (b): Yes, Madam.  Department  of Biotechnology, through its Public Sector Undertaking  -  Biotechnology  Industry  Research  Assistance  Council  (BIRAC)  has initiated a number of funding programmes in partnership with industry to promote R&D in  diversified  areas  of  biotechnology including Agriculture. These programmes support

R&D  for  ideation,  validation,  scale-up  and  commercialization  of  the  translational research. The programmes are:

-  Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP)
-  Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI)
-  Contract Research Scheme (CRS)
-  Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG)
-  Social  Innovation  programme  for  Products:  Affordable  &  Relevant  to  Societal Health (SPARSH)
- (c) BIRAC has received the funding for INR. 294.55 crores since FY 2012-13, till date, to implement such activities.
- (d) India is a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which calls upon all Parties  to  prepare  national  biodiversity  strategy  and  action  plans  for  conservation  and sustainable  use  of  biological  diversity.  Accordingly,  India  had  developed  a  'National Policy and Macro level Action Strategy on Biodiversity' in 1999. The present document on National Biodiversity Action Plan has been prepared through a consultative process by revising  and  updating  the  earlier  policy,  so  that  it  is  in  consonance  with  the  National Environment Policy, 2006.

National Biodiversity Action Plan approved by the Union Cabinet on 6 th  November, 2008 (http://nbaindia.org/uploaded/Biodiversityindia/NBAP.pdf)

- (e) BIRAC has initiated collaborations with national and international organizations and industry bodies, to promote translational research in biotechnology including sectors such as healthcare, vaccines, medical devices, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, incubation etc.

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