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A new look at the future of biotechnology

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Governor A.R. Kidwai released a book titled ‘Essentials of Biotechnology’, co-authored by R.C. Sobti, Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, and Suparana S. Pachouri, a civil servant, here on Saturday.

Dr. Kidwai said the 21st Century belonged to Biotechnology as the future developments and progress in the fields of agriculture, medicine, environment, food and so on would depend on it. He complimented the authors for popularising this subject and bringing out a comprehensive book of global significance.

He stated that the application of Biotechnology was of immense use to everyone and India was richest in terms of resources for research in this field. India was meeting 65 per cent of the IT software needs of the world, he said, adding that the country should take full advantage of the latest developments in Biotechnology.

Dr. Sobti said the Science of Biotechnology provided an incredible set of research tools resulting in rapid

discoveries.

What used to be unthinkable was resulting in the manufacture of essentials of life on a large scale in industrial and research sectors, such as agricultural and pharmaceutical production and waste management. He said this book would make the students conversant with the basics of biotechnology.

Dr. Sobti noted that Biotechnology was increasingly considered to be a revolutionary solution to every human problem. The emerging technology was poised to present a toolkit from which new life forms may be developed/designed, the inner molecular workings of living cells directly manipulated, even aging may be treated not as a disease but as a reversible pathology.

Union Minister of State for Finance Pawan Kumar Bansal, Director-General of India Council of Medical Research N.K. Ganguli, PGI Chandigarh Director K.K. Talwar, Chandigarh Finance Secretary S.K. Sandhu and I-G Chandigarh S.K. Jain were among those present.

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