Pandemic, Aatmanirbhar Bharat & Innovation: Finally cheering moment for Biotechnology in India

 

Pandemic, Aatmanirbhar Bharat & Innovation:

Finally cheering moment for Biotechnology in India

-Shantanu Chakraborty

In the mid-1960s when Green Revolution started in India, Dr. Norman Borlaug an Agronomist altered the genetic information of seeds and developed a semi-dwarf, high yield, disease-resistant variety of seeds for which he is now known as the Father of the Green Revolution. His efforts saved billions of people across the globe, on one hand where Mexico became a net exporter of crops from the importer; India and Pakistan on the other became self-sufficient to feed their people and save them from starvation.

The Developing world has also been a critic of genetically modified crops for which the kind of innovation and development we were expecting by 2020, we are not even close to that. Even Borlaug faced harsh criticism of similar patterns, but not only he was able to convince them, but his technique also gave the idea of innovation for food security special among developing countries.

Due to such staunch criticism in India, even after being an Agriculture based economy where more than 50% of India's population depends on Agriculture for bread and butter, India's performance compared to China is not encouraging at all. The use of modern techniques and innovation in the entire food production and supply system made China the World's largest producer of vegetables and various other food items.

But with time, Nature might be telling us what we ignored for the past many decades. With a jolting blow of the Covid19 pandemic on both macroscopic and microscopic levels, both Govts and scientific communities are getting on the same page to use modern and innovative techniques to satisfy the global demand for food at an affordable price.

INDIA & BIOTECHNOLOGY

India today is among the top 12 destinations for Biotechnology in the World with a global share of 3% in the Biotechnology industry and a contributor of 70% of WHO's vaccines. 

Apart from 9 Biotech parks, 4 Biotech science clusters, 50 Bio incubators; India has the largest no. of US FDA-approved manufacturing sites. 

India is also one of the first countries to constitute a dedicated department of Biotechnology, which has established BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council), a not-for-profit agency to support Biotechnology enterprises to undertake research and innovation.

from investindia.gov.in

AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT

Now, Let's be real, no matter how much we had talked about Biotechnology in the past, there was not much development. In India, the industry sector is also judged by the number of employment it can create, without much support from the Govt, sectors be it Airline, Pharmaceutical or Biotechnology perishes.

With PM Modi's launch of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Mission, Govt took various steps to stabilize the growth of the Biotech industry, which is now having a good scope of employment. The Indian Biotechnology industry is expected to have a value of 150 Billion Dollars by 2025, which is currently valued at 62 billion dollars. Govt of India has allowed

• 100 % FDI for greenfield pharma under Automatic route

• 100% FDI for brownfield pharma wherein 74% FDI is under automatic route and beyond it on Govt approval.

• 100% FDI for manufacturing of medical devices under the automatic route.

With keeping high targets, Govt has initiated more than 15 projects across various states from Sikkim to Kerala, with Millions of dollars of investment from Global companies like Astrazenekca, BAYER, Bharat Biotech, Biocon GSK, Jubilant, and many more. 

We sincerely hope that the Biotech boom we all were expecting, is now here. 

Note: The data used here are as per the various reports published by various private and Govt. institutions.

             Why Indian Govt failed to Curb Corruption...???

Resolve...The most important ingredient to "curb corruption recipe" is Resolve of the Government to end corruption. It is not my distrust for the government but we all have to absolutely trust our government that they do not have resolve to curb corruption. 

Though there have certain recent instances that shows India currently is in better situation what it was few years ago. With the change of regime and BJP's call of Congress mukt Bharat many decided to teach corrupt congress a lesson for life, At the same time unexpected majority victory of AAP govt in National Capital too shows that Congress is done for now at least for a decade. But even though the so called "Anti Corrupt" Parties are in power still the Corruption is surviving. Definitely Current Modi govt proved that there party is one of the cleanest party India have seen but still I cant see Corruption taking its last breath or even near to that.

The main evidence which shows that corruption is still surviving is leaking of Panama Papers, Black money issue, No decision for National Herald, Nothing on Shiela Dixit issue ( Kejriwal said he have 300+ pages evidence against Shiela Dixit enough to send he Jail but suddenly go silent) all this issue shows government does not really want to end corruption but wants to use this as their political tool to fetch maximum votes.

Definitely out of 10 I will give Modi govt 8.5 since he successfully run his govt corruption free for about 2.5 yrs but BJP maintained good relations with Congress party as they are two largest party in world's largest democraxy hence even BJP is scared to put hands on them, Kejriwal 6.5 for running corruption free govt but though declared he had proof against a corrupt politician but goes silent and 3 to Congress govt for few better CM and few better politicians in Congress.

So am I talking just another nonsense or give some idea on curbing corruption, yes I have some though I am just 24 and too young to comment on such topic but why not give at least a try.... :/

For curbing Corruption I think India first have to put check on her Corrupt politicians irrespective of the party , find out the corrupt politicians and then don't arrest him but rather seize his 70% property and debar him from fighting any election in future and submit the amount in any such scheme where people can regularly check the amount and its utilization make the data accessible to media to make yourself transparent. Arresting such politicians is like feeding your baby in lock up nothing more then that.

Secondly for bureaucrats and govt officials seize their 50% property and suspend them for indefinite period and do the same to his property also but again don't arrest him either and save money to be wasted on them.

So will these solve the problem yes by 70% i guess if we seize their passport also so that they cannot leave the country since for their survival they will fetch the black money from foreign banks and the chances are high that the black money comes back to India.....

 But these all again is just a speculation and even if many of us will find it workable we cant do any thing we Govt don't have RESOLVE to end things up like this......

Let's hope for the best.....


Kindly share your thoughts at ---->  shaan.chakra@gmail.com

                                                                                                      

          Kanhaiya's release an embarrassment....  for whom..?

                                        

So here's the story completes... but however the ending doesn't surprise me. After all, its India where it is widely believed that if one have a political affiliation, he will get away with it definitely no disrespect to the judiciary. The release of JNU star left a lot of questions to think of who got benefited the most. Kanhaiya, Umar, JNU, Government, or opposition..??

 Let's look for the Government, the release of Kanhaiya is without question is an embarrassment for the current ruling NDA govt, it was ABVP a student wing of BJP who have reported against the issue, the recent comments from Anurag Thakur "For few bad fish we cannot blame entire JNU" and Home Minister Rajnath Singh's comments shows he also washed out his hands from the Delhi police's way of dealing the issue. But however the comments from the Hon'ble Judge is what we can say as their face saving exit.

Now the next in line for embarrassment is JNU... yes the biggest loser in this whole game is the University itself, let's look at the events.... Umar raised slogans and so does Kanhaiya and then it shifted to Anti India remarks....


Now lose 1 Police entered the campus and arrested the accused students; 2 JNU termed as an Anti Indian University; 3 JNU labelled as a safe home for extremist who support Independent Kashmir; and the last and most important point is History professors remark that India had illegally occupied Kashmir... Kanhaiya after getting bail never mentioned about Kashmir issue... so was this always in JNU's teacher's mind that India have occupied Kashmir... Now they can't say they are going by the facts since Indian govt. mentions Kashmir as an Indian state and UN mention Indian Kashmir as an Indian administered Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir as Pakistan occupied Kashmir means it is Pakistan who have occupied the Kashmir valley, but yet they can now they still can refer Pakistani data, since only Pakistan says India have occupied the Kashimir.. But definitely it will be even more embarrassing for JNU teachers.

Now Kanhaiya and Umar, I don't think so they lost out anything.. Yes, they were jailed, but their motive is achieved Kanhaiya will now soon enter mainstream politics and Umar able to show the world that in India's capital they can chant about Kashmir's Independence, which definitely have raised the confidence of separatists in Kashmir... thinking they can garner support from India's central university students. But the winner turns out to be the opposition, they are able to suppress the Ishrat encounter case, supported JNU movement and thus suppressed the fact that Rohith Vemula protest was originally against the Congress government for hanging...i mean "Judicial Killing" of marked terrorist Afzal guru. They without a doubt able to do a large chunk of damage to the current ruling government.

Now let's see what will happen next ....current AAP leader also in 2014 explained that he will not join politics and so says Kanhaiyya..... may be by the end of 2019 we will have another Delhi in East...though I hope not....