As far as perceptions are concerned, these are changing. The plant based medicines are becoming highly relevant due to lesser or no side effects at all.
Does NBRI have enough fund allocation for its research activities?
We have enough funds. There is need for devotion to research nothing else.
You earlier mentioned that your institute has developed resistant variety of Bt Cotton? Please elaborate?
One of our developed a transgenic variety of cotton in view of white fly problem mostly in northern India. It is white fly resistant cotton. The gene introduced from a resistant plant into cotton plant helped us to develop this variety. We are on our way to sign the agreement with Punjab Agriculture University and we are going to multiply it and introduce the plants for field trials.
Which are the other important disease areas where research to develop drugs is being conducted?
Our scientists are working on plant based solutions for Urolithiasis where the kidney stones are in the process of development or nephrolethiois in which stones are small, hard mineral deposits that form inside your kidneys. Besides that, we are working on various nutritional foods as well. We take leads from the various literature in Ayurveda. based on whatever targets are given to us by the government. Our mission is to provide solutions to various lifestyle and other diseases affecting the large populations in India.
Phytopharma regulations are yet to be defined. How do you look at it?
As you are aware that GMOs are also not yet approved in India and the regulatory process is still in progress. Similarly, I am sure that the technology will evolve and the regulations in phytopharma will be ensured. Various technologies in CSIR institutes are under incubation and it will be a big sector in coming times.
How does the CSIR institutes working on plants choose their varieties? Any major factors?
India has got vast landscape rich in natural resources. On one side, we have Himalayas and other side deserts. There are areas with vast sea too. So, the regional climate
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In the eastern parts of country particularly in West Bengal, we have the problem of arsenic. The contamination through the flow of this arsenic into plants and vegetables, leads to hazardous effects on health. We have developed the new rice plant variety in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, Govt of West Bengal to tackle that.
and landscape determine the presence of plant species. We have so many research institutes in India. PM Modi has released few varieties for South India. There are various plant varieties being worked upon at the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in Himachal Pradesh even the ones from Lahaul Spiti area. Similarly, the institutes working in some other part will focus on the plant varieties relevant to its coverage.
CSIR has completed 75 years. What are your feelings on this achievement vis a vis its role in promoting traditional therapies?
India is rich in unique traditional medicines. We have cultural heritages and folklore with so many remedies. There is lot of scope to explore the new medicinal plants which perhaps have been already discovered in long past but remain unknown to the new generations. If you see, the CSIR has got tremendous knowledge in its store. The CSIR’ s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library( TKDL is filled with so much information on ethnic knowledge on medicinal herbs.
There are three major pillars of CSIR: Physical, Chemical and Biological. All these areas are highly relevant to India. I believe this is the time to do the translational research in all the areas. We have to go for the paradigm shift in our approach.
Have the CSIR’ s research outcomes not been publicized in the past they should have been?
When we started in 60’ s, we discovered the ink used in elections and also the baby food. We started early but perhaps the exposure was less. The research used to be confined within laboratory walls. Now in the era of whatsapp, things of course have changed. The advent of electronic media has brought the relevance of science to the doorsteps of common man, which is good.
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