PM Modi Launches Gene Bank to Secure India’s Food Future

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched a new Gene Bank during a post-budget webinar, marking a significant step toward preserving India's genetic resources and ensuring long-term food security. This initiative reflects the nation's strong commitment to biodiversity conservation and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. By safeguarding the genetic diversity of crops, the Gene Bank will play a crucial role in developing climate-resilient farming systems, supporting farmers, and strengthening India's position as a global leader in agricultural innovation and food security.

Key Highlights of the Initiative:

• India will lead globally in biodiversity protection and cultivate strong agricultural resistance through these efforts.

• A national genomics research facility becomes operational as an extension of the existing ICAR-NBPGR facility based in New Delhi.

• The program supports climate-adapted farming systems which ensures farmers will achieve sustainability throughout the long term.

• Protection of India’s diverse genetic resources includes more than 811 cultivated crop types and 902 crop wild relatives.

• The program supplies essential support for the research-based preservation work of genetic resources within public and private sector laboratories.

• The main function of a Gene Bank consists of storing genetic materials including seeds and pollen and tissue samples from numerous plant species to prevent species demise while securing valuable crop breeds for successive generations.

India’s Existing Gene Bank:

• The National Gene Bank of India which ICAR-NBPGR established in 1996 now maintains 0.47 million accessions through its operational sites at 12 locations across the country.

• Cereals: 0.17 million accessions

• Millets: 60,600+ accessions

• Legumes: 69,200+ accessions

• Oilseeds: 63,500+ accessions

• Vegetables: Nearly 30,000 accessions

Second National Gene Bank – Key Features:

• The storage capabilities of the facility amount to 1 million germplasm lines.

• The facility seeks to safeguard agricultural food security while developing long-term climate change resistance for farming.

• Supports SAARC and BRICS countries in biodiversity conservation.

• The facility protects germplasm collections from both natural disasters and climate threats and geopolitical hazards.

Conclusion

As India faces rising climate change threats and natural disasters and biodiversity decline the second Gene Bank stands to be essential for protecting genetic wealth for future Indian generations while making India a top global force in agricultural biodiversity preservation.

India demonstrates its dedicated commitment to protecting genetic diversity as well as assuring food security and developing sustainable agricultural platforms in both national and international realms.