Congress Member Tharoor Demands Regulation and Revival of Biotech Sector
The Congress recently made a strong pitch for having a regulatory framework on research and innovations in the areas of biotechnology in place as soon as possible, and urged the government to revive the Biotechnology Regulatory Bill which lapsed in 2013.
Initiating discussion on the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016, introduced by Minister for Science and Technology Dr Harshvardhan in the Lok Sabha, Congress Member Dr Shashi Tharoor said that Indian innovators and scientists and companies were suffering because the country’s trade related laws had not been reconciled to the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS).
He said during the UPA regime, a Bill had been brought for regulation of the biotechnology sector in 2013 but due to the end of the tenure of the Lok Sabha, it could not be passed.”Our rules and regulations on biotechnology were highly inadequate. Go back to 2013 Bill, resurrect itincorporating House committee report,” Dr Tharoor said.
He expressed his conditional support to the Bill, saying that while establishment of an institution of national importance in Faridabad as intended by the present Bill was welcome, it was equally importantto ensure the quality of existing
institutions and address the issue of lack of infrastructure in theseplaces of higher learning. Dr Tharoor, who is an MP from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, also wanted to know why the Rajiv Gandhi regional Centre of Biotechnology, which was established before the Faridabad one and figured among the top ten institutes, was not given the status of the institution of national importance.Referring to the success of biotechnology in agriculture and medical field, he said biotechnology, in future is going to be the driver of economic growth in a bigger way than the Information Technology.Earlier, while introducing the Bill, Dr Harshvardhan dwelt at length on the advantages and importance of biotechnology, especially in the field of agriculture and medicine.He said the Regional Centre was being established as part of an MoU with the UNESCO, and it would help in the sharing of the experience and expertise of various countries in Asia, especially South Asia.The Minister said the level and quality of resarch will go up with the establishment of the upgradation of the institute. He pointed out how biotechnology had helped in the development of hepatitis vaccine and new variety of crops which were pest resistant.
