Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 7: The two-day meeting of the Joint Task Force of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, on Biotechnology based programme for societal development concluded on Saturday.
The meeting was organized by Division of Entomology, SKUAST Jammu and was inaugurated by the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Dr JP Sharma, who appreciated the efforts of DBT in supporting programmes for the welfare of disadvantaged section of the society.
Dr RK Gupta formally welcomed the task force members of the meeting. The meeting was jointly chaired by Prof Dr Pushpangadan, DG, AIHBPD, Trivandrum Professor Vijaya Khader, Former Dean, ANGRAU, Hyderabad.
At the outset of the meeting, Dr AS Ninawe, Advisor, DBT-New Delhi gave an overview of the programme. He informed that the department has a scheme on “Biotech-based Programmes for Societal upliftment”, which is being implemented throughout the country for empowerment of SC, ST, women and rural people. Through this scheme, demonstration and training programmes are being conducted in various income and employment generating activities, he added.
Dr Niloo Srivastava Scientist DBT gave a detailed presentation on the activities supported by the Department of Biotechnology in various areas addressing specific problems of the target communities and the biotechnological interventions for their socioeconomic welfare and improving their health and nutrition status.
The two-days deliberations focused on identifying priority areas for funding, capacity building for rural youth, farmers, women, large scale awareness programme on health and sanitation, technological intervention for differently-abled population, promoting R&D for refinement and validation of technologies, coordinating programmes in various livelihood supporting areas such as beekeeping, sericulture and fisheries etc.
Some of the other areas which were identified included agri-biotechnology, mother and child health, nutrition, livestock farming and screening for common cancers and counselling for genetic disorders among the communities.
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