AFTER A delay of two years due to the pandemic, just as nations begin to finalise the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), negotiations on how to regulate the use of digital sequence information (DSI) of genetic resources could further delay the process.
The vast potential of DSI was underscored during the pandemic when open access to the digital copy of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, uploaded by China, enabled researchers worldwide to develop vaccines against COVID-19 in record time. Imagine how more data on several billion resources, that is currently available in different databases can revolutionise research.
This data is essentially electronic information on the sequences of the genetic material that make each biological resource unique.
この記事は Down To Earth の August 16, 2022 版に掲載されています。
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この記事は Down To Earth の August 16, 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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On shaky ground
Despite reporting net gains in green cover, the latest forest survey shows degradation of natural forests, particularly in ecologically sensitive hotspots
Burden of proof
The government's drive for e-KYC verification to ensure rightful targeting of beneficiaries has proved exclusionary for many
Rupee slide impacts agricultural trade
THE UNION Cabinet on January 1, 2025, approved the extension of a subsidy package of ₹3,500 per tonne on di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) for companies.
THE 500 GW SWITCH OVER
Coal is the king of energy at present. India needs to dislodge it with clean energy for an equitable green transition
MANIFESTING 500 GW
Ensure that renewable energy is available round the clock.Establish a viable market and reward those who take lead
Lifting a curse
How Gangabai Rajput helped her water-scarce village in Madhya Pradesh let go of superstition and revive an ancient waterbody
HOLD THEM SACRED
The Supreme Court has recommended that the Union government create a comprehensive policy for the governance and management of sacred groves across the country
REPORT CARD 2024
Coal is still the king in terms of electricity generation. But new renewables, mainly solar power, have shown an impressive growth
'India a laboratory for seismologists'
India is no stranger to earthquakes. In recent memory, Latur and Bhuj districts in Maharashtra and Gujarat witnessed devastating tremors in 2003 and 2001 respectively. Such quakes leave clues that can aid preparations for future events, say seismologists KUSALA RAJENDRAN, professor, Indian Institute of Science, and CP RAJENDRAN, adjunct professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies. The Rumbling Earth-The Story of Indian Earthquakes, captures their work on historical as well as recent quakes. In an interview with ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY, they discuss the science of earthquakes, why the Himalayas are due for a huge event and why prediction remains a challenge. Excerpts:
Capturing Siang
As India pushes for a mega-dam on the Siang river to counter China's upstream projects, the Adi tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh fears losing ancestral land
