Lok Sabha Question No. 4471 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-30
Subject: Genome and DNA Sequencing
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Manoj Rajoria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4471

ANSWERED ON 30.03.2022

## GENOME AND DNA SEQUENCING

## 4471 DR. MANOJ RAJORIA:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY िव²ान और ÿौīोिगकì मं ýी

be pleased to state:

- (a) the current status of the genome and DNA sequencing of COVID-19 in the country;
- (b) the list of the total number of bio-repositories fixed by the Government for COVID-19; and
- (c) the details of the efforts  being  made  by  the Government  for  the  development  of biotechnology in the country in view of the circumstances arising out of COVID-19 in future?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

ͪव£ान और Ĥौɮयोͬगकȧ तथा पृØ  वी ͪव£ान क े  राÏ य मंğी (è वतंğ Ĥभार) ( डॉ. िजतेÛ ġ ͧसंह )

- (a) Sir,  the  Indian  SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) being  coordinated by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), as on 23 rd March 2022 has sequenced 2,01,373 SARSCoV-2 genomes.
- (b) A total of 17 COVID-19 Bio-repositories have been notified by the Government of India. These are set up at laboratories of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). These COVID-19 Bio-repositories established at:
1. ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune
2. ICMR-National Institute of Virology Field Unit, Bangalore
3. ICMR-National Institute of Virology Field Unit, Kerala
4. ICMR- National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata
5.  ICMR-National Institute for  Implementation  Research on Non-Communicable Diseases, Jodhpur
6. ICMR- National Institute of Malaria Research, Delhi
7. ICMR- National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai
8. ICMR- National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai
9. ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh
10. NCR Biotech Science Cluster Translational Health Science and Technology Institute and Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad
11. Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar
12. Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bengaluru
13. National Centre for Cell Science, Pune
14. DBT funded Biorepository - Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi
15. CSIR- Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi
16. CSIR- Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad
17. CSIR - Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh

(c) The  Department  of  Biotechnology  (DBT),  based  on  extensive  scientific  deliberations, initiated  an  integrated  response  to  overcome  the  unprecedented  COVID-19  pandemic,  in alignment with R&D Blueprint of the World Health Organization (WHO). DBT along with its public  sector  undertaking  Biotechnology  Industry  Research  Assistance  Council  (BIRAC) launched 'DBT-BIRAC COVID-19 Research Consortium' whereby, Research and Development projects  were  supported  across  the  thematic  areas  of  vaccines  and  supporting  ecosystem, diagnostics and facilities for scale-up, therapeutics, drug repurposing & supporting ecosystem, and other biomedical interventions. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) started jointly by Department of Biotechnology and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Indian Council of  Medical  Research  with  primary  aim  to  expand  whole  genome  sequencing  of  SARS-CoV-2 virus across the nation. Under National Biopharma Mission and Mission COVID Suraksha, the Department has enabled support for pre-clinical development of COVID-19 vaccine candidates and scale-up  of  manufacturing  of  COVID-19 diagnostic  kits,  facilities  for  animal  challenge studies, facilities for immunogenicity assays, clinical trial sites etc.

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