Some rice-producing nations may drop their reluctance to use genetically modified (GM) seeds in the next few years to help offset a crisis that has forced millions to go hungry, a top expert said. "If we consider the challenges that face us, I think we would be very foolish and actually irresponsible to not invest in the development of GM crops," said Robert Zeigler, director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

To boost growth and development of indigenous technology and their absorption by the industrial sector, the State Government has come forward to set up a Biotech Park in the capital city, which would be the first such endeavour in the North East. The Guwahati Biotech Park, whose preliminary work is going on, would be taking research activities in the area of biotechnology to a new high apart from adding a touch of dynamism to the overall aspect of science and technology.

The Central government has announced a Rs.100-crore special grant to the Thiruvananthapuram-based Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) which was taken over by the Department of Biotechnology on April 1, 2007. The money is to be spent over three years. Orders have been issued to release Rs.25 crore this year as the first instalment. The announcement was made by Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal at a conference of State Science and Technology Ministers here on Monday. Fund utilisation G. Mahadevan adds from Thiruvananthapuram:

The North East Institute of Science and Technology released the technology for making mosquito repellent incense sticks for commercial production to a Sivasagar-based Agro Industry on the occasion of the observation of National Technology Day here, today. "Clean Out is a herbal agarbati made from indigenous plant materials and is totally free from hazardous chemical constituents,' a scientist of NEIST related while handing over the technology to Shamsul Haque of Premier Agro Products, Sivasagar.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asks agricultural scientists to not only work for food security but also provide nutrition to the people. Gogoi while inaugurating the first commercial tissue culture laboratory, at the Assam Agricultural University here expresses concern over the food crises all over the world. He said that India too had produced less rice this year and the State's rice production had also decreased considerably.

Biotechnology companies, who argue they could help solve the global food crisis, are hoping for a boost on Wednesday as regulators attempt to overcome the deadlock over growing genetically modified food in the European Union. With just one crop, an insect-resistant maize, approved for cultivation in the past decade and after several governments instituted GM bans in recent months, in violation of EU law, the European Commission has called for a rethink of the process.