Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 4 (PTI) The second campus of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), which will be a major knowledge centre and hub for mid and high level innovation, is ready for dedication to the nation, Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan said on Friday.
The campus will be named after M S Golwalkar (late RSS ideologue), the minister said.
"I am happy to understand that this research facility will be named as 'Shri Guruji Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar National Centre for Complex Disease in cCancer and Viral Infection'," he said.
Dr Vardhan was addressing a curtain raiser session of the sixth edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) scheduled for December 22-25, held online and organised by RGCB.
The upcoming campus will be a unique knowledge centre and hub for mid and high level innovation, founded on deep and advanced level technical platforms, multi- disciplinary courses that will seed growth and innovation, he said in his online message, adding that it is envisaged to be developed in three phases.
Dr Vardhan said the campus will strive to begin a state-of-the art 'Advanced Centre for Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics' that will offer cutting edge technologies, therapies, clinical trials for cancer vaccines and immunotherapeutics.
It will also have facilities for therapies such as stem cell replacement, Gene therapy, molecular tumor, targeting and imaging.
The minister said the second campus will also offer to investors, entrepreneurs, biotech and bio pharma companies a state-of-the art research facility incorporating a unique 'test and prove' platform.
It will provide all pre-clinical, analytical, toxicological and biological assays to validate a biotech or biological products, besides offering incubation facilities for startups, a press release here said.
"This will contribute to the development of biotechnology in the country, for sure," he said.
The minister said India will overcome the hurdles posed by the outbreak of COVID-19 as the scientists in the country are working very hard and nothing can stop the nations onward march.
Noting that 'Atma Nirbhar' is the key word for IISF 2020, he said "the call coined by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is a vision that the country is following in all good spirit."
Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, said IISF is a unique event as it celebrates the journey of science in the country by bringing together all those related to the realm.
"The pandemic has given us challenges as well as opportunities in the conduct of the event.Since we embrace virtual platform this year, we can virtually connect lot of people and it will reach out to more students," she added.
Jayant Sahasrabudhe, National Organising Secretary, Vijnana Bharati, said new themes like science and performing arts has been added to the IISF this year, considering their scientific and cultural significance.
Dr Chandrabhas Narayana, Director, RGCB, presided over the ceremony in which Chandra Prakash Goyal, Joint Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, was also present.
IISF 2020 is being organised by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Vijnana Bharati.
