The Debate
The debate on genetically modified foods has been raging all over the world. The recent approval of introduction of Bt Brinjal has kickstarted a new controversy.
In this hugely animated Debate, Dr P M Bhargava, one of India’s leading scientists, and V R Kaundinya debate the pros and cons of Bt Brinjal and GM Foods.
PS : This talk has no video.
P M Bhargava, Dr and V R Kaundinya
Pushpa Mitra Bhargava,was the founder director of CSIR-Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology (CCMB). It was his vision and pioneering efforts that led to the establishment of the CCMB in 1977 as an institution for research in basic biology.
Bhargava was a pioneer in the field of biotechnology in the country and he was instrumental in setting up a separate department for biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology in the 1970s
Bhargava held various positions, including the vice-chairman of the national knowledge commission during 2005-07.
He is a recipient of over 100 national and international honours and awards, including the Padma Bhushan in 1986 and the Legion d’Honneur in 1998 from then president of France, it said.
Born in Rajasthan’s Ajmer, Bhargava studied at Theosophical College, Lucknow and Queen’s College, Varanasi and completed his BSc in 1944 in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
He obtained his MSc in organic chemistry in 1946. He received his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from the Lucknow University at the age of 21, it said.
Bhargava went to the US in 1953 and worked as a project associate at a laboratory for cancer research. He played an active part in the discovery of 5-fluorouracil, an anticancer drug, it said. He worked at different research institutions in the UK and France.
He was instrumental in pioneering research in the field of Biology and published numerous papers.
In 2005, he initiated and played a major role in drafting the Indian Council for Medical Research’s national guidelines for accreditation, supervision and regulation of Assisted Reproductive Technology clinics in India.
V R Kaundinya
Ram Kaundinya is an expert in the field of agriculture and specifically with reference to the business of agricultural inputs. He has a total experience of about 36 years which includes 22 years in the agrochemical industry and 14 years in the seed and biotech industry. Mr Kaundinya was the Managing Director and CEO of Advanta Ltd, an Indian seed company with global foot print from 2006 to 2013. In this capacity he was responsible for running the global business spread across various continents. The area of operation extended from Australia in the East to Argentina in the West . He led the global leadership team consisting of senior managers from different countries. Travelled extensively across the world and got exposed to agriculture and agri input markets in different parts of the world.
