Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2025 on Saturday, February 1, marking her eighth consecutive presentation. She announced a slew of measures to boost the agriculture sector, including the establishment of a second gene bank in the country with 10 lakh germplasm lines.This aims to provide conservation support to the public and commercial sectors for genetic resources and to secure future food and nutritional security.A gene bank preserves and stores genetic material, including seeds, tissues and DNA samples from various plant and animal species. Established in 1972, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Genebank is a well-known institution committed to the preservation and conservation of crop genetic resources.
It protects the genetic diversity of 11 important crops, including sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, Foxtail millet, little millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, chickpea, pigeon pea and groundnut. It is a bio-repository that stores plant and animal genetic material.The ICRISAT Genebank plays a critical role in addressing food security challenges and contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).In addition to the genebank in India, the institute also operates in Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), Niamey (Niger) and Nairobi (Kenya).In 2019, the ICRISAT set up the world’s first gene bank in Hyderabad that is powered entirely by solar energy.Later, in 2021, Madhya Pradesh assembly speaker Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the world’s second-largest refurbished state-of-the-art National Gene Bank at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa.In addition to the gene bank, the finance minister also stated in the Budget 2025 that a Makhana (lotus seed) Board will be established in Bihar to improve the production, processing, value addition, and marketing of this protein-rich food item.The board will give makhana farmers guidance and training, as well as work to ensure that they benefit from all applicable government schemes.(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)First Published: Feb 1, 2025 7:22 PM IST
