Year End Review Department of Biotechnology

Question: What does SAEN stands for?
(a) Secondary Agriculture Entrepreneurial Network
(b) South Asian Entrepreneurial Network
(c) Secondary Aeronautical Entrepreneurial Network
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a)
Related facts:

  • On 20th December 2018, Department of Biotechnology released its Year end review featuring its year-long achievements.
  • Major highlights:
  • DNA Technology (Use and application) Regulation Bill, 2018 has been approved Union cabinet. This is a Bill to provide for the regulation of the use and application of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) technology with the aim to establish the identity of certain category of persons including the victims, offenders, suspects, under trials, missing persons and unknown deceased persons and provides provision for establishment of a DNA Regulatory Board (DRB).
  • India-UK cancer research initiative launched in collaboration with ‘Cancer Research UK (CRUK) focusing on affordability of cancer prevention and care, and the potential to make.
  • The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), in collaboration with the Welcome Trust, is supporting a three-tier fellowship programme on biomedical research at post-doctoral level.
  • Post Graduate Certificate/Diploma was implemented to provide high quality hands on training in tools and techniques in Medical Biotechnology, Agricultural Biotechnology and Computational Biology.
  • Indo-US collaboration on Genome Engineering / editing was launched.
  • 1st clean energy international incubator has been set up under Mission Innovation. Startups from 23 participating EU countries can potentially come & incubate in India and likewise startups from this incubator can go to the partnering countries facilitating access to global opportunities.
  • SAEN (Secondary agriculture entrepreneurial network) was launched in 2018. The project aims to promote new enterprises and to support existing industry in the secondary agriculture sector.
  • A major mission program on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) was launched with the vision to develop indigenous and cost-effective therapies against AMR.
  • A new regional center, BIRAC Regional Bio-innovation Centre (BRBC) was established at Venture Centre, Pune.
  • DBT’s Indo-US Vaccine Action Programme (VAP) & the Vaccine Grand Challenge Programme (VGCP) scored high with achievements like the lowest cost Rotavirus vaccine, Vaccine for falciparum malaria and a comprehensive program for prevention and control of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia has been initiated.
  • Under Bio Design Programme, two technologies namely Intra-Osseous Device (Ozyn-D) and a “Chest Tube Fixator and Sealing Device (PleuraGoh)” were licensed to start-up companies.
  • New Wheat variety Unnat PBW343, resistant to leaf rust and stripe rust was developed by PAU. Two bacterial blight resistant Basmati rice varieties Pusa Basmati 1728 and Pusa Basmati 1718 were developed. DBT-PGGF “Plant Genotyping and Genomics Facility” (PGGF) anchored at NIPGR, New Delhi in PPP mode was established.

Links:
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=186662