Rajya Sabha passess bill to set up regional biotech centre

The Rajya Sabha on 18 July 2016 passed the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to establish a Regional Centre for Biotechnology in Faridabad, Haryana. 

This will be an institution of education, training and research, under the auspices of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the National Capital Region.
•    Disseminate knowledge by providing teaching and research facilities in biotechnology and related fields
•    Create a hub of biotechnology expertise
•    Facilitate transfer of technology and knowledge in the SAARC region and generally Asia.
•    Promote cooperation at the international level.

•    The centre, located in Faridabad in Haryana, will be a state of the art institute and a regional hub for interdisciplinary education, training and research in biotechnology.
•    The Regional centre will provide masters’ and doctoral degrees, and post-graduate diplomas in biotechnology and related subjects (eg. medical, agricultural and engineering sciences)
•    It will be responsible for instituting academic positions, like professorships, and appointing persons to such positions
•    It will be determining standards of admission to the Regional Centre
•    It will be fixing and receiving fees.