Thiruvananthapuram                                                                                                       

18.11.2002.

Felicitation by Sri. V. S. Achuthanandan, Leader of Opposition, Kerala Legislative Assembly, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new building of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology.

His Excellency, the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Chief Minister, Sri. A. K. Antony, Sri. K. Karunakaran, MP, Sri. G. Karthikeyan, Dr. M. S. Valiathan, Dr. P. K. Iyengar, and the other dignitaries on the dais, scientists and my dear friends,

At the outset, let me extend a warm welcome to His Excellency, Dr. Abdul Kalam, to the State of Kerala, where he had spent many years as a scientist spearheading the nation’s space programme. In fact, Kerala is the second home to you, Sir, if not the first. And, I am sure, your pleasure of being here can in no way be less than the pleasure and warmth with which this State welcomes you. 

I have no doubt in my mind that the inauguration of this building of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology will turn out to be a milestone event for Kerala. I understand that, this center, established in 1994, had already done a lot of significant research in infectious diseases, plant molecular biology, environmental biotechnology, molecular human genetics, neurobiology and cancer biology. 

The significance of such a centre devoted to research in biotechnology in Kerala cannot be underestimated. As we all know, our State is considered to be one of the 18 biodiversity hotspots in the world. For an emerging field like biotechnology, which has the potential to provide the answer to most our present-day problems related to health and food security, no place in the world can be more ideal. This centre should work as a catalyst to the development of biotechnology in our State. 

I would also like to stress the colossal social responsibility such a centre, working as an autonomous institution under the Government, has to fulfill. The free flow of the benefits of science and technology to the underprivileged sections is now being threatened by stipulations under the strict Intellectual Property Rights regime imposed on poorer countries like India by the developed countries on behalf of their multinational companies. In a poor country like ours, justice demands that the underprivileged sections have equal access to the fruits of scientific research. This can be ensured only by research institutions working in the public sector. They have to function as a check to global machinations of multinational companies to turn even science and technology as a tool for exploitation and profit generation. 

With these few words, I wish the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, all success in its future endeavours. 

Thank you.