(a) the number of laboratories in the country which are capable of genome sequencing of SARS
COV-2 virus;
(b) the number of cases COVID-19 reported along with the number of samples sequenced since
setting up of such laboratories; and
(c) the time by which these laboratories would achieve the target of sequencing of 5 per cent
samples?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) Sir, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is a consortium of 28 genome
sequencing laboratories of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and
Technology (DST), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHF&W), Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Education, Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) and State Governments. The overall aim of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics
Consortium is to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 in India.
(b) As per ICMR database there are 1,88,26,913 individuals registered as Covid-19 positive
between 20-12-2020 to 19-07-2021. Since the inception of INSACOG till now the INSACOG
has sequenced 57,476 SARS-CoV-2 genomes. Out of these, 44,334 samples have been analyzed
and assigned Pangolin lineage classification and submitted to the National Centre for Disease
Control (NCDC) for public health correlation.
(c) The present sampling strategy does not mandate sequencing 5% of RT-PCR positive samples.
The sampling strategy is to sequence 15 samples from every sentinel site in every 15 days from
each state so that districts are represented from an epidemiological point of view. This is a more
diverse sampling strategy as against a random 5% sample sequencing. Also, this is a dynamic
process and quantum of SARS- CoV-2 genome sequencing depends on the positivity rate, which
has currently decreased. Efforts in terms of expansion of INSACOG by onboarding more
institutes have also been undertaken.
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