BioNest-Punjab University gets Rs 6-lakh CSR fund

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 30

The BioNest-PU, one of the North India’s leading bio-incubator housed at PU, Chandigarh, has received the CSR fund of Rs 6 lakh from Techinvention Lifecare Pvt Ltd, a Mumbai-based private biotechnology firm, for research and development related to the SARS-CoV2 or the novel Covid, said Rohit Sharma, project leader, BioNEST-PU.

He said such industry-partnerships and collaborations were helping in order to utilise the bio-incubator as a place for dedicated research to satisfy needs of the hour and provide services in national interest.

At this point of time, undertaking R&D of products for the diagnosis and prophylaxis of the novel Covid was the moral responsibility of the entire life-science sector, said Sharma.

In order to support the efforts of the Government of India, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs clarified that the support provided by corporates for projects and initiatives related to Covid-19 would be covered under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as per Section 135 of the Company Act, 2013.

2 former PU VCs donate to PM relief fund

Chandigarh: Former Vice-Chancellors of Panjab University (PU) Prof KN Pathak and Prof MM Puri have approached the university authorities to make a contribution of Rs 5,000 each.

PU Registrar Prof Karamjeet Singh said the money donated to the varsity would be added to the donations made by PU’s academic and non-academic fraternity for the PM relief fund.

On Saturday, the UGC Chairperson had issued a letter to the VCs of all Indian universities and higher educational institutes, urging them to donate their one month salary to the PM’s relief fund of Covid-19. Subsequently, on Sunday, PU Syndicate members stepped forward to donate a minimum of Rs 5,000 to the relief fund and also requested the varsity Registrar to issue a circular, appealing to all employees to donate for the cause.

PU volunteers for testing of samples

• In the testing times of Covid-19 pandemic, Panjab University has offered sevices to the Health Services, Chandigarh Administration, with the testing of Covid-19 samples, if and whenever, the services are required.
• The Department of Microbiology and the Department of Biotechnology, PU, can do so as they have requisite expertise for testing the samples by RT-PCR instrument, the BSL-2 (Biological Safety Level-2) laboratory with negative pressure (specially required for testing such samples) and volunteer manpower in the form of trained research scholars.
• The Administration, in turn, has to provide the standard kits and PPE (Personal Protection Equipment).