Potential for Research on GM crops in India

Potential for Research on GM crops in India

Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan

Genetically modified technology has always attracted skepticism, resistance and controversy, yet its use continues to grow in many parts of the world. Says US Grains council. Despite pest and pricing worries, many Asian countries have welcomed biotech crops. Be it farmers in India, China, Vietnam or Philippines, it is all over Asia and the Indian subcontinent that farmers are happy with the use of new products on offer in the agriculture marketplace. Public sector institutions presently carry out majority of developments in crop biotechnology. According to the International Service for the Acqisition of agri-biotech applications, the total area of approved GM crops reached 102 million hectares in 2006. Of the 9 million hectares in India about 38 percent was on Bt Cotton in 2006 and the area coverage is expected to increase to 75 percent by 2010. While Governments and environmental groups argue over the safety and morality of GM crops, many farmers in Asia are quietly working with scientists to overcome minor problems they are experiencing with this technology. In India agriculture biotechnology space has grown in the past one decade and has witnessed projects in large number of private and public sector. The investment has also shifted to some extent purely application oriented research to a mix of basic and applied research. Several biotech companies catering specialized research services to seed companies lack in house research facilities, which creates opportunities in agri biotechnology.
India had realized several years back that to increase food, feed and fiber production from the current level, use of biotechnology is imperative. Several institutions under Indian council of Agricultural Research and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research under department of Biotechnology, Government of India are actively applying biotechnological tools to enhance productivity and quality of agricultural crops. Agricultural universities, traditional universities and other R&D institutions are funded by DBT through external grants to support research on transgenic crops. Bio-safety of Biotech crops is one of the growing areas of research in the Biotech sector.

New Generation Courses

New Generation courses
Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan
Sports and Biomedical Science
Sports, exercise and Biomedical Sciences have applications in a wide range of health and performance related disciplines. This course is useful for students, non-standard entrants and fitness professionals and sports coaches, which cover various aspects of biological and biomedical sciences. In each of these areas, courses are offered at postgraduate level, including MSc, MPhil and PhD.
MSc Cryobiology
(Cryopreservation and Conservation)
Cryobiology studies the effects of low temperatures and freezing of cells, tissues and organisms. These effects have great importance in many areas of biology including plant and animal science, entomology, microbiology, medical sciences, veterinary medicine and food science.
This course is designed to provide a sound theoretical and practical education and training in cryobiology. Moreover it will be beneficial to students who are interested to do research in related disciplines. The course curriculum includes theoretical aspects of cryobiology, cryopreservation and conservation, including practical and research methodologies, biomedical applications and conservation of biodiversity.
In UK Students will have access to excellent laboratories, comprehensive learning resources and opportunities to study laboratory-based projects at other organizations. It will help them to develop awareness on ethics and health and safety issues pertaining to cryobiology, its applications in biomedicine and the principles of quality assurance. Moreover students will develop an ability to evaluate the roles, benefits and limitations of cryo-banked materials, potential for genetic resource banks and gain an appreciation of the important role of cryopreservation in assisted reproduction.
On successful completion of the MSc Cryobiology (Cryopreservation and Conservation) students will be equipped to undertake work in areas such as tissue and organ transplants, veterinary science, agriculture and aquaculture, assisted reproduction, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and the conservation of endangered species.

UK judgement

It is a great victory for highly skilled Indian workers of UK

UK Government’s frequent alterations in the terms and conditions pertaining to highly skilled Indian workers in the United Kingdom has temporarily affected thousands of doctors, engineers and technocrats. But the recent high court judgment is really a landmark victory for half a lakh highly skilled Indian workers in UK. High court categorically ruled that it was not open to the government to alter the terms and conditions of highly skilled Indian workers in UK. Judgment added that the old scheme constituted an integrated programme. Recent amendment made by the Government to reappear for the examination under the new scheme stands cancelled.

During the last two years highly skilled Indian workers in UK have been under threat due to frequent changes in the working norms, immigration and visa regulations. It mainly affected doctors and engineers of non-European countries. After the Glasgow incident series of changes have been made even in the student visa itself. Moreover regulation to fill the existing vacancies only after ensuring that Europeans are not available drastically affected technocrats from non-European countries.