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The academy would design and run courses to create awareness on the use of DNA fingerprinting as a tool with multiple uses in legal, scientific and health sectors.

Hyderabad , May 4

A National DNA Training Academy would be set up in Hyderabad under the aegis of the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Development (CDFD), a Department of Biotechnology (DBT) institute.

Announcing this at a national consultation on the Draft Biotechnology Development Strategy, the Director of CDFD, Dr Syed E. Hasnain, said the academy would design and run courses to create awareness among the judiciary, the scientific community and other professionals on the use of DNA fingerprinting as a tool with multiple uses in legal, scientific and health sectors.

It has become difficult for scientists to attend courts and defend cases, where DNA (Deoxyribonuceacacid) fingerprinting has been used as a tool of investigation. Instead creating awareness among Judges has been helpful, he said at the meeting organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Referring to the biotech development strategy, he said the Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI) launched recently by the DBT, would spur entrepreneurship and growth of the biotech industry. A special fund has been created to operate the scheme, which would be a public-private participation.

Under SIBRI early stage research ideas would be supported with Rs 50 lakh, of which 50 per cent would be grant-in-aid and the rest would be interest free loan. In the next stage, the entrepreneur would be provided soft loan at two per cent interest for further product development and commercialisation.

Dr Hasnain said the proposal to have a National Biotech Regulatory Authority, a unified regulatory system in place of the current three tier mechanism, which has found considerable opposition, was also welcome to accelerate the growth of the sector.

On human resources, he said the sector suffered with shortage of quality manpower. Biotech education has become a business. More than 100 institutes offer courses, but less than a dozen produce quality students. Quality assurance should be made strict criteria, he added.

Earlier, the Chief of Bharat Biotech, Dr Krishna Ella, in his presentation underlined the need for having sound IPR (intellectual property rights). At present a handful of law firms handle issues. We require a large number of trained people. On 100 per cent FDI, he said a critical evaluation has to be done whether it would adversely impact the small and medium biotech industry in the country.

The Chief of the ICICI Knowledge Park, Ms Deepanwita Chattopadhyaya, said the strategy was silent on setting up of manufacturing units by private sector in biotech parks. Similarly, there was no clarity on whether concessions would be extended to existing biotech companies located in either biotech parks or those like ICICI Knowledge Park. She advocated a strategy that would also encourage scientists to become entrepreneurs. Also the proposed Technology Transfer Cells should be located in biotech parks.

The Secretary (Biotech), Andhra Pradesh, Dr A. Ashok, said the State was willing to support the CDFD initiative to start the training academy for judiciary. The State Government is now pursuing the strategy of promoting biotech in tier II cities in the State. Mr Utkarsh Palnitkar of E&Y Consultants, who drafted the biotech policy for Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, felt that more coordination between various departments involved in promoting biotechnology was a must.

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