India to speed up clearances for biotech
Tuesday, 10 August 2004, 19:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: India is planning to put in place a single-window system by January to handle all clearances for biotechnology, whether for farm or medical products. "We hope to have in place a simpler regulatory system to rapidly speed up approvals or rejection of technologies in order to bring in additional choices for farmers as soon as possible," said Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal here Tuesday. He was speaking at a three-day conference organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). "The regulatory mechanism, which should be in place by January 2005, would ensure single window clearance to technologies, whether for farm or medical products, to ensure that consumers are benefited," Sibal told IANS on the sidelines of the conference. The single-window regulatory system, as mooted by a panel headed by noted scientist M.S. Swaminathan, would seek to do away with the current multi-level and multi-ministerial clearances that research organisations need. Sibal told national and international delegates at the meet that India was also "aiming at developing a sound national biotechnology policy that would ensure proper bio-safety and risk assessment of all products and technologies developed". "We would do our best to put in place transparent protocols and an effective science-based decision making system to develop new age entrepreneurs in food and feed sector," he said. While emphasising that biotechnology could help achieve India's aim of doubling food production to 400 million tonnes by 2020, the minister said environment concerns and consumer interest would be given high priority. To protect the interests of the technology developer, Sibal assured delegates that a sound intellectual property rights (IPR) protection system would be set up. "The single window system would help streamline clearances and address all concerns on the protocol," said Agriculture Secretary Radha Singh. As India seeks to bring more wasteland under cultivation and protect the yield from the impact of drought in rain dependent areas, Radha Singh said genetically modified crops could offer hope of raising protection. "At the same time, the government will not go about giving clearances without taking on board the concerns of all stakeholders. We still have to decide whether NGOs would form part of the regulatory mechanism," she said.
Source: IANS
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