(a) whether the country is likely to be strengthened in healthcare, education and agriculture sectors by increasing the level of innovation;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the extent to which the development rate is likely to increase in the agriculture sector through digital economy?
MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES AND MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)
(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. The country is likely to be strengthened in healthcare, education and agriculture sectors by increasing the level of innovation. Various Government Departments like Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are working towards this goal. The details are as follows :
1) The Department of Science & Technology (DST) has launched a National Initiative on Developing
and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) which promotes innovations right from idea to
commercialization.
2) The funding support provided for undertaking innovative Research and Development in the area of
Biotechnology has resulted in development and commercialization of several products. The details
of publications, patents and technologies generated as an outcome of competitive funding to R&D
projects during FY 2016-17 and 2017-18 is given below:
No of Publication No of Patents Filed Patents Granted
Technologies Developed
Technologies Commercialized
1300 34 14 65 13
Some of the major achievements are :
(i) Two bacterial blight resistant Basmati rice varieties namely, Pusa Basmati 1728 and Pusa Basmati 1718 have been developed and released.
(ii) 3 new brucella diagnostic kit launched.
(iii) A cocktail vaccine for poultry salmonellosis was developed.
(iv) National Biopharma Mission was launched on 30th June, 2017. The Mission with a total budget of US$250 million aims to bring Industry and Academia together to promote entrepreneurship and affordable product development.
(v) First indigenous Rota Virus Vaccine was launched in March, 2015. A 1-day Dengue Diagnostic Test was developed.
3) To increase the level of innovation in the health sector, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has established a Innovation and Translation Research (ITR) Division in 2015. The ITR Division offers financial and other support to innovators for leads to be translated into products in terms of intellectual property protection, handholding for up-scaling, transfer of ICMR technologies. These steps are meant to encourage our innovators to generate new processes and products in the health sector.
(c) The digital economy would certainly benefit the agriculture sector as it would help the farmers in faster and better price realisation of their produce.
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