SPEECH OF HONURABLE GOVERNOR PUNJAB AND ADMINISTRATOR, UT CHANDIGARH, SHRI BANWARI LAL PUROHIT ON THE OCCASION OF ONE WEEK ONE LAB INSTITUTE OF MICROBIAL TECHNOLOGY SECTOR 39 CHANDIGARH ON JUNE 19, 2023 AT 11.00 AM

It is an honour to be at the inaugural ceremony of the “One Week One Lab” event organized by CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology.
Each of the 37 CSIR Labs spread across the country are organsing similar events to showcase their work for stakeholders to learn about it.
As I gather, during this week long event,  CSIR-IMTECH is organizing events like scientific lectures and panel discussions, technology exhibition; JIGYASA– the Student-Scientist connect event; Skill Development programmes and  startup-angel investor meet. 
Interestingly, during this whole week, CSIR-IMTECH has declared its gates open to the general public with many events being organized each day to share scientific knowledge via fun activities for the visiting children and adults.  
I believe, besides establishing new synergies, this event shall help IMTECH and innovators of the region to develop new networks with eminent researchers across the country. 
Today, I am also pleased to announce that the GMP National Repository of Microbial Cell Banks for Biopharmaceutical products facility has been inaugurated. 
This is one of its kind in the country with GMP infrastructure, quality management system and operational modules. 
It is expected to contribute towards  National missions like “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” in the Biopharmaceutical domain.
Friends,
Currently getting quality cell banks in India is  a major challenge as it involves high cost, licensing and royalty charges, uncertainty in identity and purity, shipping costs, delays in delivery and customs duty payment. Having such facility here at Chandigarh will fill this major and much needed gap in biopharmaceutical space and is expected to catalyze Country’s rapidly growing biopharmaceutical sector.
The facility is envisioned to provide accessibility to the industries, start-ups, entrepreneurs, MSMEs as well as research organizations with globally recognized cell banks and expression systems.
This I believe, is the first of its kind facility in India and will serve to the national mandate for development of affordable biological drugs like Biotherapeutics and Vaccines against various communicable and non-communicable diseases. 
It is heartening to observe that CSIR-IMTECH has always strived to perform research in the frontier areas of modern microbiology and provide biotech industry with the highest quality of services and innovative solutions in microbial biotechnology.  
You have chosen the path of integrated research and development for microbial technology. Over the years, your scientists have excelled in diverse areas of molecular microbiology. 
CSIR-IMTECH’s successful collaboration with Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the lead centre for ISRO, for the development of microbial consortia (कनसौरटिया)for Bio-degradation of Perchlorate (परक्लोरेट), -is a testimony of how indigenous technologies can boost ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Mission’ of the Government of India. 
CSIR-IMTECH played a pivotal role in mitigating COVID-19 challenges not just by providing infrastructure for COVID-specific projects and RT-PCR based COVID-diagnosis, but also by initiating work on COVID vaccines and by developing a platform for anti-viral efficacy testing of compounds and products, which has helped academia & industries tremendously. 
The institute’s proactive approach in collaboration with industry partners aims to provide innovative products and biotech solutions for taking Technology, Product and Service from the lab to the Industry for further development and commercialization. A few good examples are, a collaboration with Merck Life sciences, a first of its kind of a public private partnership in a CSIR lab for setting up of Knowledge Alliance in a collaborative mode. Collaboration with Zydus Cadila for anti-TB drugs, is another example that has met with success under this model. 
CSIR-IMTECH is playing a major role in training students, teachers and school children especially in Punjab state and surrounding regions under Jigyasa and skill-development programs to make them ready for next generation scientists (or professionals).
Friends,
Since ancient times, pursuit of knowledge has been respected in our country and there existed a flourishing tradition of scientific endeavour, which covered almost all major areas of human knowledge and activities. These included mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, medical science and surgery, civil engineering and architecture. 
Urban settlements of Harappa tell of the existence of civil engineering and architecture; it was in India that the concept of zero as a number was developed; a compendium was made on medical principles and practices in the form of the treatise Charaka-Samahita; advances were also made in metallurgy. 
We are heirs to this great tradition of learning, which should inspire us to be worthy inheritors.
No doubt, our people, time and again, in different parts of the world and in varied disciplines have shown their ability to innovate and invent. We have many examples of how Indians doing research have been applauded and have received accolades from the global community for their outstanding work.
The quest for knowledge, however, is unending and research for new discoveries must continue, as we cope with change and new challenges which the world is facing today. This also becomes all the more important as the world is moving forward rapidly and decisively into an era where societies and economies are incrementally based on knowledge.
Scientific efforts can turn into great achievements only when they hit the ground from the lab, when their impact is from global to grassroots, when they expand from journals to reality and when the innovations from research reflect in real life.
I would like the scientists present here to develop such an institutional framework which would attract young talents and give them an opportunity to progress. For example, talent hunts and hackathon events can be organized to spot scientifically minded children. Then the perception of those children can be developed through a proper roadmap.
Friends,
Before I conclude, I want to share that the United Nations has declared this year i.e. 2023 as the International Year of Millets on the call of India. This is a matter of great pride for every Indian. 
Work can be done to improve India's millets and their use. Effective steps can be taken by the scientific community to reduce post-harvest losses with the help of biotechnology.
I am confident that this stakeholder connect event will help us in refining our thoughts and that there will be more need-based collaborations in future.
My best wishes to the One Week One Lab initiative by CSIR-IMTECH and for the opening of the new GMP facility.
Thank you,
Jai Hind.