In the spirit of One Nation, One Portal, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T), has established a Single National Portal-Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP)-for Biotechnology researchers and start-ups.
The “BioRRAP” portal will assist all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research and development activities in India, providing a significant boost to “Ease of Science and Ease of Business.”
Need for the Single National Portal – BioRRAP
i.Currently, there is no mechanism in place to track the regulatory approvals required for a research proposal on a single platform.
- To give such biological research more credibility and recognition, the Indian government has created a web system in which any research that requires regulatory monitoring will be designated by a unique ID called “BioRRAP ID.”
ii.The portal will act as a window, allowing researchers to see the status of their regulatory clearance applications as well as preliminary information on all of the research projects that the researcher and/or organisation are working on.
Significance Of the BioRRAP Portal:
i.The Portal will also enable stakeholders to view the approvals granted to a specific application using a unique BioRRAP ID.
- Biotechnology has quickly evolved as an academic and career path for young people in India, with over 2,700 biotech start-ups and over 2,500 biotech enterprises already in operation.
- By 2025, India will rank among the top five countries in the world as a Global Bio-manufacturing Hub.
ii.This one-of-a-kind portal of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), (MoS&T), is a step toward making Ease of Doing Science and Scientific research and Ease of Start-ups in India.
iii. This portal will improve interdepartmental coordination and bring accountability, transparency, and efficacy to the agencies that regulate and issue approval for biological research.
Other Areas of Biological Work That Have Gained Momentum:
i.Apart from biotechnology, biological work related to biodiversity, the latest methods of conservation and protection of flora and fauna, forest and wildlife, bio-survey, and bio-utilization of biological resources have all gained momentum in India as a result of the impact of climate change.
ii.In India, research in numerous biological domains is constantly expanding its horizons, because of grants from various public and private sectors.
iii. Many of these researches are regulated by one or more regulatory agencies, which must first approve the research proposal before the researcher can proceed.
India: A Global Bio-Manufacturing Hub on the Rise
i.India is the third largest biotechnology destination in the Asia-Pacific region and is among the top 12 global biotechnology destinations.
ii.The Indian biotechnology industry is estimated to contribute 19 % to the global biotechnology market by 2025, up from 3 percent in 2017.
iii. The contribution of the bio-economy to national GDP has steadily increased in recent years, rising to 2.7 % in 2020 from 1.7 percent in 2017, and will reach new heights after 25 years of Bio-economy journey in the Centenary year of 2047.
Key Takeaways:
i.India, as a country, should maintain a repository of research work done by both governmental and private sector scholars.
ii.This will help India to recognise its scientific strengths and capabilities, as well as adopt policies that will allow it to gain from scientific research.
iii. The BioRRAP portal is exclusively for research-related activities and not for product development.
About Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T):
Minister of State (Independent Charge) – Dr. Jitendra Singh (Udhampur Constituency, Jammu and Kashmir)
- Under the purview of the MoS&T, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) was established in May 1971 with the goal of fostering new fields of science and technology and serving as a nodal department for organising, coordinating, and promoting S&T activities in India.
