New Delhi, March 17:: The Government is planning to upgrade the department of biotechnology (DBT) to the status of a full-fledged ministry. At present DBT is under the Union ministry of science and technology and is responsible for promoting researches for development of genetically modified (GM) crops and other biotechnological applications in agriculture and health sciences.

Speaking at the 22nd Foundation day of DBT on Monday, the Union science and technology minister, Kapil Sibal said : "DBT is 22 years old. As the 21st century would be the century of biotechnology with researches and applications being carried out across the globe, the time is ripe that DBT be upgraded to the status of an independent ministry or a commission."

He said that DBT had an annual budget of Rs 9,000 crore as compared to Rs 450 crore budget for the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). He said that biotechnology had the potential for improving agricultural productivity and combating climate change. It can help in sustaining 9% growth rate in the economy and achieving 4% growth rate in agriculture. Biotechnology had also given lot of employment opportunities to women, he said.

Sibal informed the gathering that new institutions were being located in 4 technology clusters namely Agri-Food Technology at Mohali, Punjab; Health Science Biotechnology at Faridabad, Haryana; Animal Science and Biotechnology in Hyderabad and Marine Science and Technology in Tamil Nadu.

He projected that by the end of 11th Plan the biotechnology sector in the country would be worth 10 billion. Reiterating the commitment of the Government to promote rapid growth in biotechnology he said 1000 positions of Ph.D. would be created in next five years.

Nine Biotech scientists were honoured the National Bioscience Awards for Career Development to recognize outstanding contributions of young scientists below 45 years of age in basic and applied research in the areas of biosciences and biotechnology including agricultural, biomedical and environmental sciences with potential for application/product and technology development. Ninty eight students were given DBT biology schorlarship.