Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today expressed hope that the DNA Bill, that was introduced in Parliament last week, will be passed by next session. He was speaking to reporters after inaugurating the new campus of the Hyderabad based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD). The Minister said, the proposed DNA Technology Law will ensure the security of country in many ways including detecting and determining terrorist activities.
He said, the rules and regulations of DNA fingerprinting will be framed by the proposed regulatory Board once the bill is passed. The Minister said, every possible concern from every quarters has been addressed in the Bill. He said, the scientific research relating to fingerprinting and forensic activities will be strengthened through the proposed law.
Dr Harsh Vardhan said, the scientific eco system in the country has improved due to various measures taken by the NDA government. He said, Scientists who had moved to other countries, are now showing inclination to come back. He also said, the advertisement for eminent fellowships like Ramnujan National fellowship attracted applications from over 600 scientists working in different countries.
The CDFD new campus has been constructed at a cost of about 115 crore rupees in a sprawling area of about 20 acres at Uppal area with state of the art research facilities.
In another development, Dr Harsha Vardhan dedicated to the nation the Wildlife Genetic Resources Bank (GRB) set up at the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad.
The Minister said, Indian scientists are developing state-of-the-art facilities and techniques for saving endangered species from extinction. He assured that the government would provide all support to take forward research activities in this regard.
