Department of Biotechnology | Science & Technology for UPSC CSE PDF Download

The remarkable march of India into the world of biosciences and technological advances began in 1986. That year, the then Prime Minister of the country, late Rajiv Gandhi accepted the vision that unless India created a separate Department for Biotechnology, within the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India the country would not progress to the desired extent. This was because many of our macro-economic issues of growth were subsumed within that science’s development. 

That decision has made India one of the first countries to have a separate department for this stream of science and technology. However the initiation of deliberations to establish the department started much earlier In 1982, after detailed deliberations with the scientific community, and on the basis of recommendations by the then Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet, a National Biotechnology Board (NBTB) was constituted by the Government to identify priority areas and evolve long term perspective for Biotechnology in India. It was also responsible for fostering programmes and strengthening indigenous capabilities in this newly emerging discipline.

The NBTB was chaired by the formidable scientist Professor MGK Menon, the then Member (Science) of India’s Planning Commission. All the Secretaries to the various departments of the government dealing with science were appointed as Members of this Board. A separate Department of Biotechnology (DBT) was finally set up in February, 1986 and the NBTB selected Dr S Ramachandran as the first Secretary of the department. 

The DBT constituted a ten member Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) with heads of various scientific agencies and a seven member Standing Advisory Committee for North America SAC (0) to ensure that the Department kept abreast of global developments in the field of Biotechnology. 

Dr S Ramachandran, says that Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi recognised that the pace at which biological sciences were growing globally, that “unless we leap forward, there is no way of catching up with the rest of the world”. So space was allocated to a small team to sit in the now sprawling and modern CGO Complex, at Lodhi Road, New Delhi, to set up the DBT. According to Dr Ramachndran the Department started with a modest beginning of around Rs 4 to 6 crore as its first budget.

• There were many serious challenges at the start. First, there were inter-departmental conflicts with no department willing to part with its earlier responsibilities to a new but specialised body.
• The second most important problem was the “tendency of Indian scientists to publish only in national journals” because publishing in international and solidly peer-reviewed journals took too long.
• Third, the industry could not be persuaded early to join hands as governmental procedures took too long.
• The fourth major obstacle was procuring scientific equipment and reagents and other vital necessities for lab research.

In those days in the country, not too many people were working on biosciences. The department had, therefore, to focus on

• Developing human resources
• Creation of appropriate infrastructure
• Research and development
• Creating a regulatory framework

Despite the challenges, the department started to roll on almost as soon as it was formed. The first autonomous institute, the National Institute of Immunology which was set up in 1981 was brought under the wings of DBT. Soon after, it was joined by the National Facility for Animal Tissue and Cell Culture of Pune formed in 1986 which was later christened the National Centre for Cell Science. 

The late 1990s and early 2000 saw many other institutes like The National Institute for Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) followed, the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting & Diagnostics, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development and the Institute of Life Sciences take shape. Subsequently, several other prominent institutes like Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THISTI), Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (INstem), National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) at Mohali, and National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) at Kalyani in West Bengal were established. 

There is also renewed effort on social aspects such as health care, food and agriculture, energy and environmental security. International collaborations have become more strategic, with better reach and breadth and industry partnerships are growing. The new focus on Young India is clear from the various Grants and Funds as well as Awards, and the DBT’s commitment to revisit the funding mechanism to ensure a quicker assessment of project values and disbursements of funds for research.

Vision

"Attaining new heights in biotechnology research, shaping biotechnology into a premier precision tool of the future for creation of wealth and ensuring social justice – specially for the welfare of the poor."

Mission

Biotechnology is a frontline area of science with immense potential for the benefit of the human kind. The Department shall devote wholly to achieve excellence in the promotion of biotechnology in the country within the ambit of the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961 as enumerated through the Government of India notifications No. CD-172/86 dated 27.2.86 and No. CD-87/87 dated 31.1.87. 

The Department shall provide services in the areas of research, infrastructure, generation of human resource, popularization of biotechnology, promotion of industries, creation of centers of excellence, implementation of biosafety guidelines for genetically modified organisms and recombinant DNA products and biotechnology-based programs for societal benefits. Bioinformatics is a major mission to establish an information network for the scientific community, nationally and internationally.
Our mission is:

• Realising full potential of biotechnology
• A well directed effort, significant investment for generation of products, processes and technologies
• Enhance efficiency and productivity and cost-effectiveness of agriculture, nutritional security, molecular medicine, environmentally sustainable technologies, scientific and technological empowerment of human resource, a strong infrastructure for research and commercialization, enhance the knowledge base, nurturing the leads of potential utility, bringing the bioproducts to the market place
• Socio-economic development / applicants of biotech for upliftment of women, rural, SC & ST population
• Promote biotech industry

Core Values

• Integrity
• Transparency and Accountability
• Team work
• Commitment
• Excellence

Mandate

• Promote large scale use of Biotechnology
• Support R&D and manufacturing in Biology
• Responsibility for Autonomous Institutions
• Promote University and Industry Interaction
• Identify and Set up Centres of Excellence for R&D
• Integrated Programme for Human Resource Development
• Serve as Nodal Point for specific International Collaborations
• Establishment of Infrastructure Facilities to support R&D and production
• Evolve Bio Safety Guidelines, manufacture and application of cell based vaccines
• Serve as nodal point for the collection and dissemination of information relating to biotechnology.

National Biotechnology Development Strategy

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, announced the First National Biotechnology Development Strategy in September 2007. The implementation of Biotech Strategy 2007 has provided an insight into the enormous opportunities. Boundaries between disciplines once considered distant are now beginning to blur and as a consequence of their convergence given birth to newer opportunities and challenges. 

Thus, it was felt opportune to take a critical look at the Indian biotech sector as it will likely unfold over the next 5-6 years. In year 2015, DBT announced “The National Biotechnology Development Strategy-2015-2020” (hereinafter referred to as ‘Strategy-II’), which was framed after a wider consultation with stakeholders. Strategy-II would seamlessly build on the earlier Strategy to accelerate the pace of growth of biotechnology sector at par with global requirements.

Key elements of Strategy-II are as follows:

Realizing that biotechnology has the potential to be a globally transformative intellectual enterprise of humankind, our renewed mission is to:

• Provide impetus to fulfillment of the potential for a new understanding of life processes and utilizing the knowledge and tools to the advantage of humanity;
• Launch a major, well-directed effort backed by significant investment for generation of biotech products, processes and technologies to enhance efficiency, productivity, safety and cost-effectiveness of agriculture, food and nutritional security; affordable health and wellness; environmental safety; clean energy and biofuel; and bio-manufacturing.
• Empower, scientifically and technologically, India’s incomparable human resource;
• Create a strong infrastructure for research, development and commercialization for a robust bioeconomy;
• Establish India as a world class bio-manufacturing hub for developing and developed markets.

Guiding Principles that Will Drive the Strategy:

Consultations with stakeholders have identified the following 10 guiding principles that shall drive the renewed mission through Strategy-II.

• Building a Skilled Workforce and Leadership
• Revitalizing the Knowledge Environment at par with the Growing Bio-economy
• Enhance Research Opportunities in Basic, Disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary Sciences
• Encourage Use-inspired Discovery Research
• Focus on Biotechnology Tools for Inclusive Development
• Commercialization of Technology – Nurturing Innovation, Translational Capacity and Entrepreneurship
• Biotechnology and Society – Ensuring a Transparent, Efficient and Globally Best Regulatory System and Communication Strategy
• Biotechnology Cooperation – Fostering Global and National Alliances
• Strengthen Institutional Capacity with Redesigned Governance Models
• Create a Matrix of Measurement of Processes as well as Outcome

Sectoral Priorities:

The Department has identified following sectors to accelerate the pace of growth of biotechnology sector at par with global requirements.

• Human Resource
• Building Knowledge Environment
• Research Opportunities: human genome research, vaccines, infectious & chronic disease biology, stem cells & regenerative medicine, basic research, translational research, human developmental and disease biology – maternal & child health, bioengineering and bio-design
• Agriculture, Animal Heath and productivity
• Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
• Food fortification and biofortification
• Bioprospecting, value-added biomass & products
• Marine biotechnology & biodiversity
• Environmental management, Clean bio-energy
• Nurturing Entrepreneurship – IP Landscaping, Technology Transfer, Incubators, Entrepreneurship, SME Support Systems
• Biotechnology and society
• Biotechnology Cooperation

Major initiatives of the National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020:

• Launch four major missions in healthcare, food and nutrition, clean energy and education.
• Create a technology development and translation network across India with global partnership, including 5 new clusters, 40 biotech incubators, 150 TTOs, and 20 bio-connect centres.
• Ensure strategic and focused investment in building the human capital by setting up a Life Sciences and Biotechnology Education Council.