| NBRI was the first organization
in the country to initiate development of plant diversity databases
in collaboration with University of Southampton & Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. NBRI signed an agreement with ILDIS
to act as the Centre for South Asia to undertake the development
of database of Legumes of South Asia.
In 1996, the-then VP, CSIR (Prof. Y.K. Alagh) desired a base
paper on the International Legume Database and Information Services
(ILDIS) programme from NBRI. NBRI prepared the base paper and
the-then Director (Dr. P.V. Sane), submitted a detailed plan
for development of legume database of South Asia under the aegis
of International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS),
UK and upgrading the legume database with new Phase II modules
on as per international standards. This base paper was circulated
by DG, CSIR and comments were invited from biological labs of
CSIR and other GOI departments.
Based on the comments received and realizing the importance
of this international programme, the-then VP, CSIR discussed
the programme details with Secretaries of GOI and finally approved
a proposal to take up this programme at national level jointly
by DBT and CSIR by establishing a Bioinformatics Centre at NBRI
under DBT‘s Network programme (BTISNet).
Subsequently, DBT approved the programme and a grant of Rs.
25.00 Lakhs in August 1998, with a commitment of Rs. 5.00 Lakhs
p.a. from CSIR for recurring expenditure for this programme.
Research council (RC) of NBRI approved only the creation of
the Bioinformatics Centre for DBT sponsored ILDIS South Asia
Programme. Secretary, DBT nominated Dr. S. Kumar, Coordinator
of NBRI Bioinformatics Centre (NBRI-BC).
The work of setting up the centre could not be taken up from
01.01.98 to 23.02.99 due to long absence of a regular Director
at NBRI and lack of emphasis on this area by the–then
Director Incharge, Dr. Sushil Kumar, and hence no significant
progress could be done.
The first initiative was taken up in this regard and a meeting
was organized on 16.02.99 at NBPGR, New Delhi and several recommendations
were made in the presence of Dr. P. Pushpangadan, Director,
NBRI and thus the work of establishment of Bioinformatics was
initiated.
Dr. P. Pushpangadan, assumed the charge of Director, NBRI on 24th
February 1999 and promoted the development of various R&D
programmes and finally gave a momentum to the activities of Bioinformatics.
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