BioRRAP Portal is Set to Change The Face of Research in India
BioRRAP Portal is set to change the face of research in India
Clinical trials, contract research, and manufacturing operations in the nation are increasingly being conducted in the bio-services sector, which made up 15% of the biotechnology industry in the year 2020. India’s standing in the Global Innovation Index (GII) continued to rise, and of the 132 economies included in the GII 2021, it was placed 46th. This rise in the ranks from 81st in 2015-16 has been supported by research funding from various government bodies and the private sector. To help scientists further broaden the scope of biological research in India and in line with the nation’s vision of ‘One Nation, One Portal’, the Department of Biotechnology has developed the Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP).
The launch
The portal was launched in May 2022 by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. It aims to give biological studies more legitimacy and recognition and will help researchers pursue regulatory approvals for their research projects on a single platform.
What is BioRRAP all about?
BioRRAP provides a single channel for applicants to be directed to regulatory agencies that provide the necessary approval for biological research. Every user gets a unique BioRRAP ID on the submission of a research proposal based on a series of questions answered affirmatively by the applicant. The list of regulatory bodies from whom permissions for biological research may be required is then determined and appended to the unique BioRRAP ID. According to https://biorrap.gov.in/, the BioRRAP works in the following way:
How does BioRRAP work?
- A BioRRAP ID is generated post the submission of one’s research proposal.
- This unique BioRRAP ID allows the user to know the status of their application submitted to various regulatory agencies.
- For an application to be submitted on portals of regulatory agencies, a BioRRAP ID is required.
- With every BioRRAP ID, a list of regulatory agencies issuing requisite approvals which are pertinent to the biological research proposal submitted is attached.
A word from the Union Minister
Speaking at the portal’s launch, Dr Jitendra Singh remarked that India is on pace to become a global bio-manufacturing hub and will rank among the top five countries in the world by 2025. He lauded the BioRRAP portal as a one-of-a-kind gateway that will provide more accessibility to science and scientific research in the country. The minister has also directed the DBT officials to assemble short films that captured all the attributes of the registration and regulatory clearance processes through the site to promote this unique national portal widely.
History
Before BioRRAP, India had no mechanism in place to track the necessary regulatory approval for a research proposal on a single portal. The new portal will serve as a gateway to deliver more credibility and recognition to biological research and development. The portal will also aid researchers in getting a clearer picture of their approval status as well as examine the situation of their regulatory clearance applications and introductory information on all of their research activities being conducted.
The path ahead
Climate change has impacted a lot of interconnected industries in alarming ways. Biological work related to biodiversity, the most up-to-date techniques for protecting forests, wildlife, and flora, as well as bio-survey and bio-utilization of biological resources is gaining momentum in India. This makes the launch of this portal extremely crucial at this juncture.
For young people in India, biotechnology has rapidly emerged as a viable educational or career alternative. Over 2,700 biotech start-ups and more than 2,500 biotech businesses are already flourishing in the nation . In the long run, the introduction of BioRRAP would undoubtedly prove to be a huge respite for biological research and development activities in the nation.