(a) whether the Government has any proposal to enhance drug research activities in the country;
(b) if so, the steps taken in this regard during the Tenth Five Year Plan;
(c) whether greater emphasis is proposed to be laid on increasing drug research activities
during Eleventh Five Year Plan;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the funds earmarked for the purpose ?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS &
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI B.K. HANDIQUE)
(a)to (e): Yes Sir. There are many Government Departments and agencies which are supporting
drug research. The Department of Science and Technology is supporting drug research through
Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Research Programme. This programme supports industry institutional
collaborative R&D projects, creating state-of-the-art national facilities in research
laboratories and academic institutions and soft loan with a simple interest of 3% p.a. to
pharma industry R&D projects. During Tenth Five Year plan Rs. 217.63 crores have been utilized
i.e. grants-in-aid of Rs. 113.63 crores for 46 Collaborative R&D projects and 25 national
facilities and 31 industry loan projects to the tune of Rs. 104.00 crores. Besides this,
sum of Rs. 600 lakhs was sanctioned for Pharmaceutical Research and Development Programme
(PRDP) in this Department during the Tenth Five Year Plan. The thrust of this Programme
had been to give a fillip to the R&D initiatives in the National Institute for Pharmaceutical
Education and Research (NIPER). Considering, the importance of the drug research the Government
plans to enhance the allocation for this programme in the Eleventh Five Year Plan. For 2007-08
a Budget Estimate of a sum of Rs. 118.00 crores is provided in the Budget of Ministry of
Science and Technology.