By Madhup. Chandigarh, 29th Jan: The national Seminar on ‘Law, Society and Biotechnology Interface: Emerging issues in North Western Region’ being organized by UILS at ICSSR complex commenced with the participants talking on the issue of biotechnology and intellectual property laws. Chaired by Prof. Shashi Sharma, Dept of Laws and co-chaired by Dr. Parikshit Bansal, Chairman, NIPER, Mohali. The session focused on the impacts of biotechnology and patenting on environment, health and human rights. Dr. Parikshit Bansal concluded the talks by recognizing the need of patenting and also the importance of such laws as may regulate the commercialization of intellectual property with regard to the Indian scenario. The second session commenced under the chairmanship of Dr. Parikshit Bansal, Chairman, NIPER, Mohali and Prof. Upendra Sawhney, Chairperson Dept of Economics, PU. The session saw brainstorming papers on various topics like the relation between Law and Technology, the panoramic view on biotechnology vis-à-vis IPR, legal vs. ethical implications of P300, narco-analysis test., the need to make right to help and right to free environment fundamental rights and the need for sui generis legal system for the protection of biotechnological innovations.
In the third session issues relating to Patents and Genetic Engineering, Legal rights and Public health were discussed. The session was chaired by Prof. Sukhdarshan Singh Khehra, Registrar, Punjabi University, Patiala and co- chaired by Prof. Sherry Sabharwal, Dept. of Sociology, PU. This session saw exhaustive discussion on issues like surrogacy, Stem cell research, Gene patents and Genetic Engineering and Eugenics.
Issues like DNA technology and Law, Genetic Signature, Identity of Human clones and their implications were discussed in the 4th session which was chaired by Dr.Harpal Kaur Khehra, Dept of Laws, Punjabi University, Patiala and Sh.Vikas Asawat, Project officer, PSCST. In all the concluding day of the seminar was a platform for the Biotechnologists and lawyers to share and exchange their learning and ideas on the themes of the seminar. The seminar proved to be an intellectual feast for the academia from the various disciplines.
Later on, the seminar concluded with the Valedictory session wherein, Prof. R.S. Grewal, Founder director, UILS highlighted the issues discussed during this two day seminar.Dr. Amita Verma, Coordinator of the seminar presented the seminar report. In the end Prof. Sangita Bhalla thanked the various dignitaries, faculty and assiduous students for making this seminar a great success.