I. Draft national biotech strategy

Draft national biotech strategy makes industry happy, but ignores key issues like quality of education and biosafety.

In March this year, Union science and technology minister Kapil Sibal released the draft National Biotechnology Strategy document, calling it a "road-map for the next several years". But a closer look reveals the potholes. Experts call the draft too simplistic. While the strategy is designed to gladden the rapidly emerging biotechnology industry, does it adequately address critical issues such as the uncertain quality of biotech education and training provided by the multitude of institutions that have cropped up? It recommends curriculum changes, which is clearly not enough to contain the problem.

Other issues that you could track down is the document's silence on biosafety and its failure to clearly enumerate the nature of public-private 'partnership' which it advocates in this sector. The department of biotechnology is currently inviting the public's suggestions and comments on the draft strategy; the final document is expected in June.

Read more about the issue in Down To Earth (May 15, 2005). You can also speak with:

a. Dr Deepak Pental
Eminent biotechnologist; director
South Campus, University of Delhi,
Ph 011-2688 6427

b. Rajeswari Raina
Scientist, National Institute of Science,
Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi
Ph 011-25843227, 25846064, E-mail rajeswari@nistads.res.in

c. Dr Sachin Chaturvedi
Very knowledgeable about biotech research and industry in India; Fellow, Research and Information System for the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries, New Delhi
Ph 011-24682177-80, E-mail sachin@ris.org.in

Appeared in Media Alert 6, May 13, 2005