(a) the details of the steps taken by the Government to focus on drug research in India;
(b) the amount allocated on drug research during the last three years, year-wise; and
(c) the proposals/schemes formulated by the Government to make India a leader in drug development?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)
(a) Several steps have been taken from time to time by the Government to focus on Drug Research in India. Some of these are:
# Increasing the outlay for Research and Development (R&D) on drug research.
# Introducing newer programmes such as Pharmaceutical Research and Development Support Fund (PRDSF) of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (TDDP) of Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), New Millennium India Technology Leadership Initiatives (NMITLI) of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI) of Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for encouraging collaborative R&D among laboratories/institutions/ industry in modern and Indian Systems of Medicine and also for extending soft loan for R&D in Pharma Industry.
# Establishing state-of-the-art R&D facilities
# Strengthening the human resource development through research fellowships, young scientist scheme, etc.
# Weighted tax deduction @ 150% on R&D expenditure incurred in the DSIR approved in-house R&D centers and
# Organising Pharma Industry-Institutional interactive meet, seminar, symposia on modern, Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha systems of medicine including veterinary drug development to encourage R&D.
However, there is a need to go substantially beyond these initiatives to make the country a leader in Drug Development and the Government is taking necessary steps in this direction.
(b) During the last three years Ministry of Science and Technology had a budgetary utilization of Rs. 6218 lakhs in 2002-03, Rs. 6444 lakhs in 2003-04 and Rs. 9475 lakhs in 2004-05 on drug research.
(c) As provided in part (a) of the question above.