This year, in budget 2024, the allocation for the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has been cut from Rs. 2,683.86 crore to Rs. 2,275.7 crore this year or around 16%. But if we see the unspent funds then it looks normal because DBT has more than 1000 crore Rs from last year. DBT was allocated Rs. 2683.86 crore in 2023-24 but could utilize only Rs 1607.32 crore.
In 2022-23, the Ministry of Science and Technology has been allocated Rs 14,217 crore. This comprises: (i) Rs 6,000 crore to DST (42% of the total), (ii) Rs 5,636 crore to DSIR (40%), and (iii) Rs 2,581 crore to DBT (18%).
In year 2024-25, DST received ₹8,029 crore, DSIR received Rs 6,323.41 crore and DBT received Rs. 2,275.7 crore. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has been given Rs 3,064.80 crore.
When the budget allocation of DBT seen in detail, for secretariat or administartive work the funds allocation is Rs 71.04 crore against the requirement of Rs 44.25 crore because DBT could not use all Rs 46.39 crore allocated in 2023.
For Central Sector Schemes/Projects including Biotechnology Research and Development and Industrial and Entrepreneurship Development, DBT could utilize only Rs 550 crore against sanctioned Rs 1645.00 crore. Now in this budget DBT received Rs 1174 crore for the Central Sector Schemes/Projects.
Other Central Sector Expenditure of Rs 992.47 was given to DBT but the actual expenditure was Rs 1013.07, this year DBT got Rs 1030.66 crore for the same. Other Central Sector Expenditure includes Assistance to Autonomous Institutions (Rs 940.66 crore); Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) which is a flagship PSU of DBT did not see hike despite increased expenditure because it utilized Rs 52 crore but has given the same amount i.e. Rs 40.00 crore; and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) allocated same Rs 50.00 crore.
The 16 Autonomous R&D Institutions under DBT engaged in Research, Human Resource and Technology Development are i) National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi; ii) National Centre for Cell Science, Pune; iii) Centre for DNA Finger Printing & Diagnostics, Hyderabad; iv) National Brain Research Centre, Gurgaon; v) National Institute for Plant Genome Research, New Delhi; vi) Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Imphal; vii) Institute of Life Sciences, Bhuvaneswar; viii) Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, Faridabad; ix) Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram; x) National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani; xi) Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad; xii) National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali; xiii) Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Bengaluru; xiv) National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad and xv) Centre of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing, Mohali.
