Biotechnology is a collective term for a group of technologies that use biological matter or processes to generate new and useful products and processes. Biotechnology is a key technology for the new millennium. It has an immense range of applications in agriculture, medicine, food processing, environmental protection, mining, and even nanoelectronics. On the other hand, the potential for altering the genetic structure and characteristics of living organisms, including humans, plants and animals, has resulted in many concerns about safety and ethical implications of the new technologies. When assessing the Indian legal framework for biotechnology, attention must be paid both to international compromises and internal norms. The majority of the agencies that enact rules and control activities in the biotechnology field pertain to four ministries of the central government. Biotechnology can be approached from different angles. Some describe it as “a field of technological activity, in which biochemical, genetic, microbiological and engineering techniques are combined for the pursuit of technical and applied aspects of research into biological materials and, in particular, into biological processing”, such as the application of science and technology to living organisms, as well as parts, products and models thereof, to alter living or non-living materials for production of knowledge, goods and services. Research in this paper asks: what have been the impacts of GM crops on poverty and food security? Effective regulation is an essential component of any innovation process. Despite much international attention given to GM crops and food products, genetic engineering in health has been the main focus for modern biotechnology for the past several decades.

India is the world’s largest democracy and is the second most populated country in the world, with more than a billion inhabitants. When referring to India, statistics and numbers pertain to a distinct dimension. Biotechnology as a sector exemplifies the aforementioned disparities. It is one of the most modern and developed sectors of the Indian economy, and it has been one of the engines of the present prosperity of cities such as Hyderabad and Bangalore, as well as the Mumbai/Pune area. And although already thriving, it is easy to foresee that its growth is nothing in comparison to what it will be in the near future.

Biotechnology has a broader societal dimension in India. It is not regarded only as a private profiting activity, but also as a tool to foster national development. In fact, India quickly identified the potential biotechnology had for the promotion of national development. The Sixth Five Year Plan, 1980-1985, singled out biotechnology as a useful means to meet the health and agricultural needs of the Indian population (Planning a New Biotechnology Policy, 1991). Since then, technology in general, and biotechnology in particular, have been at the center stage of Indian national development strategy.

Biotechnology is a collective term for a group of technologies that use biological matter or processes to generate new and useful products and processes. As such, it ranges in complexity and maturity from ancient brewing and bread-making techniques to genetic modification through hybridization and interbreeding of plants and animals, as well as the manipulation of individual genes in humans, animals, plants and microorganisms.

Biotechnology is a key technology for the new millennium. It has an immense range of application in agriculture, medicine, food processing, environmental protection, mining, and even nanoelectronics. On the other hand, the potential for altering the genetic structure and characteristics of living organisms, including humans, plants and animals, has resulted in many concerns about safety and ethical implications of the new technologies. So far, most of the safety issues have emerged from agricultural biotechnology, but some cutting-edge developments in medical biotechnology are now presenting major ethical concerns.

Biotechnology Journal, Stress Adaptation of Bacteria, Extremophiles, Bacterial Adaptation, Cytosolic Components, Denature Cellular Proteins, Reactive Oxygen Species, Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Ultraviolet Radiation, Environmental Stress, Stress Management, Biological Systems, Cellular Economy.