The Union Government is expected to come out with the national biotech policy by the year-end. The department of Biotechnology has initiated the process and is hoping that the new policy will provide a new framework for the industry to operate in. The move comes in the wake of wide spread criticism from several quarters of the industry that India is one of the few countries in the world without an elaborate biotech policy, according to MK Bhan, secretary, department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

Speaking at the inaugural address of the Conference proceedings at the Bangalore Bio 2004, Bhan said that the Central Government plans to appoint advisors to work out on the model of private-public participation in the biotechnology sector. The new policy will provide the solutions to the numerous regulatory stumbling blocks hindering the industry's progress. This will include the concrete recommendations on the intellectual property (IP) issues as well.

He said the government wants educational institutions to take active part in R&D activities in the biotechnology sector. In this regard the government has received some proposals from the institutions. We are looking into it, he said.

Stating that the Union Government would extend all possible help in setting up the proposed biotechnology park near Bangalore, he said a similar Biotechnology Park at Lucknow is expected to function from December this year.

The secretary, department of biotechnology stated that the new government has realised the importance of agriculture and the relevance of nutrition in a country like India. "We now need to make sure that there is substantial improvement in food production both in terms of quality and quantity," he said.

A Task Force headed by MS Swaminathan had recently submitted a national policy that should come into the force soon. The report's basic recommendation was that the national policy should seek the economic well-being of farmers and ensure food security. "We have signed a pact with the US for collaboration in agri-research with a focus on rice. We are also supporting some of the projects of the Switzerland Government," he stated.