Odisha has sought the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Marine Biotechnology as the State is endowed with a vast coastline. The State government has submitted a proposal to the department of biotechnology of the union government in this regard, said Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister, Science & Technology.
“A comprehensive proposal on the establishment of such a centre in Marine Bio-technology for Eastern Ghat has been submitted to the Department of Biotechnology of the union government. The proposal aims at bio-prospecting for novel compounds and drug candidates, generating genomic resources and contributing to the ecological restoration and enhanced livelihood of the coastal communities”, Panda said while speaking at the 20th Annual General Body Meeting of the Institute of Life Sciences.
Panda further suggested the inclusion of the Kandhamal district in the National Network Programme on Tribal Health and Nutrition, adding to Nabarangpur, an aspirational district declared by the centre in which ILS is presently involved.