The Hindu : National : Sibal promises to ease regulations in biotechnology

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 25, 2004

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National

Sibal promises to ease regulations in biotechnology

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MAY 24. The new Union Minister for Science and Technology Minister, Kapil Sibal, today promised to take steps to simplify the regulatory procedures in biotechnology and ensure that the country was able to tap its potential to the maximum extent.

Speaking to presspersons after assuming charge, Mr. Sibal said he would also strive to ensure that the rules and regulations did not hamper the scientific community from performing to its utmost capacity. One of his top priorities would be to ensure that the cream of Indian scientific talent remained within the country and contributed towards its growth.

Replying to a query, he said it was a total misrepresentation of facts to say that the reverses faced by Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh and S.M. Krishna in Karnataka was a verdict against high technology.

"It was not a verdict against high tech. On the contrary, the verdict of the people was that technology should not bypass the common man and that technology for the sake of technology alone was not good."

The new Government, he said, would take every step to ensure that science and technology worked for the welfare of the common man and to improve the level of partnership between public and private institutions and between the Ministry of Science and Technology and other Ministries and Departments including Agriculture, Health, and Environment.

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