Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of State (IC) Ministry of Earth Science; MoS of Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, today launched the Single National Portal for Biotech Researchers and Start-ups in the spirit of "One Nation, One Portal."
The "BioRRAP" Portal will serve all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research and development activity in the country, providing significant relief for "Ease of Science as well as Ease of Business." Dr. Jitendra Singh stated after the launch of the Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP) that India is poised to become a Global Bio-manufacturing Hub and will rank among the top five countries in the world by 2025.
According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Portal will also allow stakeholders to view the approvals granted against a specific application using a unique BioRRAP ID. He described DBT's one-of-a-kind portal as a step toward Ease of Doing Science and Scientific Research, as well as Ease of Starting Up in India. According to the Minister, biotechnology has quickly emerged as an academic and employment opportunity for young people in India. He also stated that the country currently has over 2,700 biotech start-ups and over 2,500 biotech companies in operation.
Dr. Jitendra Singh described the Portal's launch as a whole-of-government approach in line with Prime Minister Modi's vision, saying that it will strengthen interdepartmental synergies and bring accountability, transparency, and efficacy in the functioning of agencies regulating various aspects of biological research and issuing permits. Congratulating the Department of Biotechnology on the launch of the BioRRAP portal, the Minister suggested that the Department develop additional mechanisms to make procedures simpler and more effective.
Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that in addition to biotechnology, biological work related to biodiversity, the latest methods of conservation and protection of flora and fauna, forest and wildlife, bio-survey, and bio-utilization of biological resources are gaining traction in India as a result of the effects of climate change on them are gaining traction.
He went on to say that research in various biological fields is constantly expanding in India, thanks to grants from both the public and private sectors. Many of these studies are overseen by one or more regulatory agencies, which must first approve the research proposal before the researcher can proceed with the study.
The Minister went on to say that there is currently no mechanism in place to track the requisite regulatory approval for a research proposal on a single portal, so the Government of India has developed a web system in which each research requiring regulatory oversight will be identified by a unique ID called "BioRRAP ID."
According to him, the portal will serve as a portal, allowing researchers to see the stage of approval of their applications for regulatory clearances, as well as preliminary information on all of the research work being undertaken by the specific researcher and/or organization.
Dr. Jitendra Singh directed DBT officials to make short films capturing all the nuances of registration and regulatory approval through the portal in order to increase public awareness of this unique National Portal.
The Minister emphasized that it was discovered during the pandemic that there is a need to link the applications submitted to various regulatory agencies for approval so that the status of the application can be seen in one place. Furthermore, it was felt that as a country, we should have a repository of research works conducted by our researchers in both the public and private sectors. This will assist us not only in understanding our scientific strengths and expertise but also in developing enabling policies to reap the benefits of scientific research.
In his address, Dr. Rajesh S Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, stated that BioRRAP has been developed, which generates a BioRRAP ID for all research applications submitted on this portal, and that using this BioRRAP Id, further submission to respective regulatory agencies must be initiated based on the research application. He stated that this portal is only for research purposes and not for product development.
