BIRAC - GS questions based on daily current affairs

1)   Which of the following is/are related to Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)?

1) eYUVA
2) BioNEST
3) BIG

a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 3
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

  • Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a Public Sector Undertaking under the aegis of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
  • In the National Biotechnology Development Strategy, 2015-2020, Bio-incubators would be scaled up to 50 and 5 new Bio-clusters would be formed.
  • With over 500 Start ups and SMEs, 100 Entrepreneurs being a part of this ecosystem, BIRAC has nearly 50 products in different stages of development and commercialization.
  • The target is scaling this 10 times in the next 5 years through initiatives like BIG (Biotechnology Ignition Grant), SITARE (supporting grass root student innovators), eYUVA (creating entrepreneurial culture in universities), BioNEST (nurturing entrepreneurship by establishing Bio Incubation Centres), tax exemptions to biotech startups in Budget 2015-16, inter alia.
2)   Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has recently announced partnerships with various agencies. Which of the following is correctly matched?

1) Horticulture - Spain
2) Knowledge innovation chain - Finland
3) Social innovators – TISS, India

a. 2, 3
b. 1, 2
c. 1, 3
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

  • The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a not-for-profit undertaking under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), has announced a string of partnerships with domestic and international organizations to support, fund and scale up technologies with focus on health and agriculture.
  • With UK’s Nesta, BIRAC will collaborate to create an India-focused seed fund to incentivize innovators to help solve the problem of global antibiotic resistance.
  • Tekes, the Finnish funding agency, will help improve competitiveness of Indian and Finnish industries by collaborating in the knowledge innovation chain.
  • Horticulture Innovation Australia will be part of a joint funding programme to support innovative technologies for sustainable horticulture at a global level.
  • TISS will mentor BIRAC’s social innovators.
3)   With which country has Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) of India teamed up to support innovative technologies for sustainable horticulture?

a. US
b. Australia
c. Spain
d. Japan
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Australia

Explanation:

  • Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit undertaking under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
  • It is teaming up with Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA) for a joint funding programme to support innovative technologies for sustainable horticulture at a global level.

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