New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the establishment of the UNESCO Regional Centre for Training and Education in Biotechnology at Faridabad.

The institute will be given the status of a Category-II Institution of UNESCO with the revised budget of Rs. 99.55 crores

The proposed Centre would act as the focal point for cooperation amongst the member countries of the Asian Region in Biotechnology.

The Centre would be a regional hub for interdisciplinary education and training in biotechnology with emphasis on novel education programmes relevant to industry, including bio-drug discovery science, nano-science & medicine, imaging techniques, designer crops, bioengineering and biomaterials, intellectual property, technology transfer and regulation to fulfill and overcome the acute shortage of skilled human resources in India.

It will be governed by a Board of Governors with representations from India, UNESCO and the member countries.

The collaboration with UNESCO will ensure gateways to international institutions such as European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), International Union of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (IUBMB) etc. and usher in skill acquisition in the global context.

The Centre will be the first ever inter-disciplinary institution in life sciences and biotechnology in India with a unique international character to offer novel educational & training courses in the interdisciplinary and related areas of biotechnology.

It would also be a place of designing of new and novel programmes for education & training which could be then assimilated by the existing universities in India and the region.