Lok Sabha Question No. 3087 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH)
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Sudheer Gupta, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Prataprao  Jadhav, Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA

USTARRED QUESTION NO. 3087

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

CSIR-INSTITUTE OF MICROBIAL TECHNOLOGY (IMTECH)

## 3087. SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIV RAO MANDLIK:

SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

Will  the  Minister  of  SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY विज्ञान  एिं  प्रौद्योविकी  मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Bombay to promote collaborative research and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the aims and objectives along with the terms and conditions of the said MoU;
- (c) whether  the  said  MoU/  collaboration  will  help  in  addressing  key unmet  societal  and  medical  needs  of  the  country  and  promote collaborative research, particularly in the field of healthcare and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the other benefits likely to be reaped by the Government through the collaboration of two top institutes of the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE; MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

स्िास््य और पररिार कल्याण मंत्री; विज्ञान एिं प्रौद्योविकी मंत्री; तथा पृ्िी विज्ञान मंत्री (डॉ. हर्ष िर्षन)

- (a) Yes, Sir. CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Bombay on 13 th  November, 2019.

- (b) The aim of this MoU is to facilitate exchange of ideas, development of new knowledge, promote collaborative research and enhance high quality research acumen.

The  objective  of  this  collaboration  is  to  carry  out  state  of  the  art research  in  the  areas  of  health  care  especially  in  projects  and missions  where  both  the  institutes  can  significantly  complement each  other  which  shall  include  but  not  limited  to  the  areas  of Antibiotics and Virology Drug Discovery.

- (c) Yes,  Sir.  It  is  expected  that  this  MoU/collaboration  will  help  in addressing key unmet societal and medical needs of our country and promote collaborative research particularly in the field of health. This MoU will enable collaborative research in the areas of Biotherapeutics  including  Vaccines,  Drugs,  Protein  Therapeutics  and Diagnostics;  Human  Microbiome  based  products;  Biochemical  & Protein Engineering and Fermentation Technologies, etc.
- (d) The other benefits likely to be reaped by the Government through the collaboration of two top institutes are as under:
-  Promote  institutional  exchange  by  inviting  faculty  and  student researchers of the partner institutions to participate in appropriate research activities;
-  Dissemination of findings through scholarly publications;
-  Jointly protect intellectual property (IP) arising out of collaborative  efforts  and  facilitate  deployment  of  such  IP  for societal benefits and/or commercialization.
-  Jointly  organize  symposia,  conferences,  and  meetings  on  timely research issues; and
-  Exchange  of  information  pertaining  to  the  agreed-upon  research areas.

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