Print of the species

INDIA's vast genetic resources will now
have a protective cover with the setting
up of the National Research Centre for
Finger Printing of Animal and Plant
Species in New Delhi. The centre, under
the aegis of the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR), will be
involved mainly in cataloguing the
native animal and plant species by fingerprinting them genetically.

The fingerprints will be obtained
with the help of genetic technology
and will safeguard India's treasure-
house of species under the new General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
According to K L Chadha, the deputy
clirector-gener@l (horticulture) of the
ICAR, if a doubt about the ownership of
any particular species arises, it will be
decided in the courts and fingerprints
will then come in handy to establish its
rightful ownership.