Last Saturday, a Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and Startups was launched that are seeking regulatory approval for biological research and development projects.
The Portal "BioRRAP" (Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal) is essentially a centralized mechanism created to cater to all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research & development activity in the country and thus offer a huge relief for "Ease of Science" as well as "Ease of Business".
Notably, there are over 2,700 biotech start-ups and more than 2,500 biotech companies working at present in the country.
BioRRAP is the first public mechanism that tracks requisite regulatory approvals for research proposals online.The portal will keep researchers notified on the stage of their application in terms of regulatory clearances. It further allows users to see preliminary information on all the research work being undertaken by the particular researcher/ organization.
BioRRAP provides a single route to direct the applicant to regulatory agencies providing requisite approval relevant to the biological research.
Based on a succinct set of questions responded in affirmative by the applicant, the list of regulatory agencies from whom approvals may be required for biological research, is determined and attached to the unique BioRRAP ID generated on the submission.
The online Portal will also allow stakeholders to see the approvals accorded against a particular application through BioRRAP IDs. This portal is brought in existence by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology.
The online Portal will also allow stakeholders to see the approvals accorded against a particular application through BioRRAP IDs. This portal is brought in existence by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology.
On launch of BioRAPP, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said, "There is no mechanism to track the requisite regulatory approval for a research proposal on a single portal and therefore, to provide more credibility and recognition to such biological researches, Government of India has developed a web system under which each research, requiring regulatory oversight, will be identified by a unique ID called 'BioRRAP ID."
He said, the portal will serve as a gateway and will help researcher to see stage of approval of their applications for regulatory clearances and to see preliminary information on all the research work being undertaken by the particular researcher and/or organization.
Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that other than biotechnology, biological work related to biodiversity, latest methods of conservation and protection of flora and fauna, forest and wildlife, bio-survey and bio-utilization of biological resources are also gaining momentum in India due to effect of climate change on them.
He added that research in the various biological fields is continuously expanding its vista in India supported by the grants from various public and private sector. Many of these research falls under the purview of one or more regulatory agencies which first approve the research proposal after which researcher undertakes that specific research.
The minister directed the DBT officials for wider publicity of this unique National Portal and asked them to make short duration films capturing all the nuances of the registration and regulatory approval through the portal.
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