- Why in news
- The first meeting of the BRIC Research Advisory Board was held on 27-28 March 2026 at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, to guide BRIC's research and reforms (release dated 28 March 2026).
- What it is
- BRIC is an apex autonomous body under the Department of Biotechnology, set up as a registered society. It was formed by merging 14 autonomous DBT institutes into one framework. Its aim is to run biotechnology research as a more unified, decentralised national system.
- Legal form
- BRIC is an apex autonomous body set up as a registered society, not a statutory body created by an Act.
- Parent department
- BRIC was formed from DBT institutes; DBT sits in the Ministry of Science & Technology.
- Research Advisory Board
- The RAB is chaired by Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, former Principal Scientific Adviser and former DBT Secretary. It guides, reviews and monitors research at BRIC institutes.
- Leadership
- The DBT Secretary also serves as Director General of BRIC (Dr Rajesh S. Gokhale).
- iBRIC+
- iBRIC+ comprises the iBRIC institutes, RCB and ICGEB.
Don’t confuse with BRIC vs BIRAC: BRIC is an umbrella body for DBT's research institutes. BIRAC is a separate DBT public sector undertaking that supports start-ups and industry innovation.
Don’t confuse with BRIC vs BRICS: BRIC here is a domestic biotechnology research council, unrelated to the BRICS country grouping.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- Merging 14 institutes can reduce duplication and allow shared infrastructure and multidisciplinary missions.
- Supports building a bioeconomy and sovereign biotechnology capability.
Problems
- Integrating institutes with different cultures and mandates while keeping autonomy.
- Linking research to industry and turning outputs into products.
Way forward
- Set clear mission-mode goals with performance frameworks for scientists.
- Build shared labs, biofoundries and open data sharing across institutes.
Put in your answer
Institutional reform example: BRIC consolidated 14 DBT autonomous institutes into one society, an example of restructuring research bodies.
Bioeconomy infrastructure: A network of biomanufacturing hubs and biofoundries within BRIC is meant to place it at the forefront of the bio-based economy.
- 2021Mains GS3 · Q15What are applied biotechnology achievements and how do they uplift poorer sections?
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q15Why is biotechnology activity high in India and how has it benefitted biopharma?
- 2025Mains GS3 · Q6How can biotechnology help India achieve energy independence by 2047?
- 2026Prelims Q48Which statements about GenomeIndia Project, a DBT-funded genetic diversity catalogue, are correct?
- 2015Prelims Q10Which statements about NIF, an autonomous body under DST, are correct?
- 2026Prelims Q77Which statements about NIRANTAR, a platform of institutions under MoEFCC, are correct?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Apex autonomous body formed by merging 14 DBT institutes. Standing topic, but few testable facts and statutory bodies are only 7 of 327 Prelims questions.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.