Current Programmes

3. Biotech Outreach Programmes

Biotechnology is a sunrise area today being in the forefront of technological developments world over.  The state of Punjab has also identified it as a priority area and the efforts are being made to bring in world class infrastructure in the form of a national institute, bioprocessing unit and a biotechnology park in the state.  In order to keep various stakeholders informed about applications of biotechnology relevant to the state of Punjab, Biotechnology Division of the Council continues to take up outreach programmes for varied target groups.  The following programmes were organized in 2006-07:

i)       Awareness Workshop on Agricultural Biotechnology

            The Punjab State Council for Science & Technology in collaboration with the Science Ashram, Gujarat and All India Crop Biotech association, New Delhi organized one day Awareness Workshop on Agricultural Biotechnology on 21st September, 2006. The workshop was aimed at providing information pertaining to developments in the area of agricultural biotechnology to various stakeholders especially the field level functionaries/trainers who work with farmers at the grass-root levels for strengthening their understanding on current issues so that they are better equipped to take right information pertaining to biotechnological developments to the farmers.  About 100 participants representing relevant development departments, Farmers’ Cooperatives and progressive farmers attended the workshop. Dr. N.S. Tiwana, Executive Director, PSCST inaugurated the workshop and urged the participants to clarify their doubts pertaining to field level applications of biotechnology during the workshop so that science of biotechnology could percolate from labs to fields in a safe and sustainable manner.

            Dr. Gurdyal Singh, Joint Director, Agriculture delivered key note address on ‘Biotechnology in Punjab Agriculture-Relevance and Current Status’. The other speakers included Dr. Gurinderjit Randhawa, Senior Scientist, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, who provided detailed information about developments, benefits & doubts about Genetically Modified (GM) crops as well as bio-safety issues associated with GM crops and the existing regulatory mechanism. Dr. S.K. Goyal, Principal Scientist (Retd.), IARI gave detailed information on production of bio-fertilizers. He also gave demonstration on identification and application of various bio-fertilizers. Dr. Madhu Gill, Consultant, Organic Council of Punjab informed about their endeavors for promotion of organic farming in the state as well as certification and marketing of organic produce.

            The workshop also included a panel discussion wherein the queries of participants on biotechnology and biosafety issues were addressed by the panel of experts. 

ii)       Popular Biotechnology Lecture Series

             Biotechnology, being a multidisciplinary area has diverse applications in the fields of agriculture, healthcare, environment and industry.  In order to create awareness on the basic concepts and recent advances of biotechnology and its applications among students and teachers of schools, colleges, universities as well as general  public, the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India has introduced a programme titled ‘Popular Biotechnology Lectures’. Under this programme, a series comprising three popular biotechnology lectures is organized every year by Punjab State Council for Science & Technology.  The Council organized 13th Popular Biotechnology Lecture Series this year on 22.1.07 at DAV College for Boys, Amritsar.  More than 225 students and teachers of various schools, colleges, and other educational Institutions participated in the programme.  The lecture series covered popular lectures on “Biosafety in Agriculture” by Dr. Jatinder Kaur Arora, Joint Director (Biotechnology), Punjab State Council for Science & Technology; “Biotechnology in Health Care” by Dr. Gurcharan Kaur, Professor & Head, Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and “Bioinformatics” by Dr. Balwinder Singh, Scientist ‘C’, Institute of Microbial Technology.  The lectures generated a lot of interest among the young minds. Their queries were addressed by the experts in an elaborate question-answer session.  Some of these queries have been compiled in the form of FAQs which along with the complete lectures have been made available on the Council’s website for easy access.

 iii)      Trainings for promotion of medicinal and aromatic plants

              The cultivation and value addition of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) is being promoted by the Council in villages of Talwara Block of kandi area under a project supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India.  In this context, the training programmes as tabulated below were organized at project site at Talwara / villages of Talwara block for capacity building of farmers / rural women on cultivation, harvesting and post-harvest management of medicinal and aromatic plants and other naturally growing bioresources:

 iv)      Awareness programmes on Solid Waste Management through Vermiculture Biotechnology.

          The Council has been providing technical guidance to various target groups for Solid Waste Management through Vermiculture Biotechnology.  In this context, District Administration, Sangrur had approached the Council for organization of one day training workshop which was organized by the Council on 29th August, 2006 at District Administrative Complex, Sangrur.  The workshop was attended by over hundred field level functionaries including ADC (Dev.), DDPO, BDPOs, Project Director, ATMA, Mukh Sevikas, Gram Sevikas, Progressive farmers, Self Help Groups etc. The information pertaining to methodology, economics, benefits of the technology and Council’s initiatives in promoting it was given and queries of the participants were addressed during the workshop.  The participants were urged to involve rural unemployed youth for direct marketing of vermicompost after proper packaging.  Sh Harnek Singh, ADC (Dev.) informed that already more than 500 vermicompositng units are operational in District Sangrur with the initiatives taken by District Administration and ATMA - A World Bank Agency. 

Further, about 500 secretaries and inspectors of village level Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies of 17 districts viz. Mansa, Muktsar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Moga, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Nawan Shahr, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Patiala and Ropar were trained through interactive sessions in 10 programmes organized by Punjab Institute of Cooperative Training.

v)       Genetic Literacy Programme

            The findings of a project implemented by the Council with the support of Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India had revealed some hard hitting facts pertaining to existing level of genetic literacy in rural areas.  To mention a few, only 17% population covered under the survey was aware that the father (Y chromosome) is responsible for determining sex of the child; only 11% were aware that consanguinity (marriages among blood relatives) contribute to genetic problems.  Further, the impact assessment study revealed that as a result of the awareness campaigns launched by the Council, there was a significant positive shift in the understanding of these aspects and the above percentages rose to 90% & 95% respectively.  Therefore, the Council continues to impart information on fundamentals of genetic literacy with special emphasis on genetic disorders.  In the year 2006-07, this information was disseminated through 20 interactive sessions for varied target groups in the training courses / seminars on Biotechnology, Technology & Skill Development etc. organized by MGSIPA; National Institute of Technical Teachers Training Institute; PICT; DAV College, Chandigarh and GGDSD College, Chandigarh.

vi)      Sensitization Workshop on S&T for Women

            The Council has been implementing various biotechnology based programes for women & rural empowerment.  The Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, therefore, urged the Council to organize a Sensitization Workshop on science & technology programmes for women as well as host the Annual Group Monitoring Meeting (GMM) of Science & Society division of DST.  PSCST hosted the GMM on 7-8 November, 2006 wherein about 25 projects on women empowerment through S&T interventions operational in various parts of the country were reviewed.  This was followed by the Sensitization workshop on 9th November, 2006 on programmes available with DST, GOI on “S&T for Women”.  The objective of these programmes is to promote research and development for improvement of life, working conditions & opportunities for gainful employment of women especially in rural areas as well as to increase the contribution of women to science, technology and development.  Dr. Vinita Sharma, Director, Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India provided detailed account of DST’s programmes on women empowerment.  The guidance on project formulation was also provided during the workshop.  Some technologies for women empowerment being replicated in various parts of the country were also discussed as case studies.  About 70 representatives of R&D, educational institutions and voluntary organizations participated in the workshop.  Based on the deliberations during the workshop, it emerged that the following technologies need to be promoted in the state of Punjab:

1.            Spirulina production for use as nutritive supplement.

2.            Production of blue green algae for use as bio-fertilizers.

3.            Nursery raising of high value crops

4.            Mushroom cultivation

5.            Design, fabrication and improvement of tools, implements, equipment and instruments.

6.            Promotion of cultivation and value addition of medicinal & aromatic plants.

7.            Value addition to khandsari (Gurh manufacturing) – technological improvement for

               quality    production.

8.            Prevention and control of fluorosis through diet supplementation.

9.            Techniques for the fabrication of ophthalmic lenses for goggles / spectacles.

10.          Promotion of traditional handicraft (Phulkari etc.) for women empowerment.

11.          Ornamental fish farming, breeding and management for entrepreneurship development.

12.          Production of biodegradable low cost sanitary napkins.

13.          Carcass utilization after hide removal.

14.          Epidemiological studies on prevalent livestock diseases & Improvement of livestock

               feeds.

15.           Post harvest processing of castor.

                  The R & D Institutions and NGOs were urged to develop proposals for promotion of above said / any other technologies for women empowerment as well as bring up the proposals for setting up of Women Technology Parks.