New Biology towards Socio-economic Progress

Abstract

Prof. Birbal Sahni, the founder Director of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany paved the way for systematic developments in this field from botanical and geological aspects. Palaeobotany is the study of ancient life. The Indian sub-continent is bestowed with enormous biodiversity and richness of biological resources. The grave consequence of loss of biological diversity has to be understood on scientific basis. The global biological heritage, both for the present and for the future will have a proven influence on the potential of constructing a sustainable agriculture and forestry system which will produce useful products for the sustenance of human life. The work in new biology and the advent of biotechnology and genetic engineering have given a large number of fundamentals, innovations, tools and techniques. The scientists can produce crops with desired traits, enhance the food productivity and nutritional status of the crops, produce new vaccines and diagnostics, develop packages for environmental restoration and protection of biodiversity. The future advances in new biology offer enormous potential both for economic and societal development.