Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission

What is Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission?

In Feb 2019 Department of Biotech announced key mission at the foundation day ceremony including Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission - Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI), which is expected to transform Health, Agriculture and Energy sectors during the next 5 years. 

This mission includes:  

1. GARBH-ini → A Mission to promote Maternal and Child Health and develop prediction tools for pre-term berth, it builds upon a 2015 programme under which women at less than 20 weeks of gestation were enrolled, followed by intensive clinical, epidemiological, genomic, epigenomic, proteomic and microbial tests. The idea was to find out molecular risk markers and generate a risk prediction algorithm for pre-term birth, with the aim to facilitate timely referral and care for at-risk mothers.

It will help bring down maternal mortality rate and improve maternal health by timely addressing risk arising out of pre-term birth.

1. IndCEPI→ A Mission to develop affordable vaccines for endemic diseases, it will focus on strengthening vaccine development capacities in the country in collaboration with the academia, industry and other stakeholders. An inter-ministerial mechanism will be established for vaccine development and testing to address disease threats and to prepare public health system to respond to these threats. It will also seek to engage with the global initiative — Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
2. Development of Biofortified and Protein Rich wheat - contributing to POSHAN Abhiyan, it will take forward research in development of bio-fortified and protein-rich wheat, being conducted at National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali. The institute has already developed some bio-fortified colour wheat lines by crossing exotic germplasm with an Indian cultivar. The wheat lines have been registered with the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources and approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
3. Mission on Anti-Microbial Resistance for Affordable Diagnostics and Therapeutics, it would help develop indigenous and cost-effective diagnostic kits and therapies, as well as the establishment of a bio-repository for AMR-specific pathogens.
4. Clean Energy Mission - Innovative Technology interventions for Swachh Bharat.