BRIC-IBSD Imphal hosts awareness programme on 'Quality Certification of Tissue Culture Plants'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 07 2025: The BRIC-Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal, successfully organised a 1-day awareness programme on the National Certification System for Tissue CulturePlants (NCS-TCP)under the theme, "Quality-Assured Plants fora Sustainable Agricultural Biotechnology Ecosystem".

The programme was conducted in association with BRIC-National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi.

As per a release issued by BRIC-IBSD, the programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from about 50 stakeholders, including representatives from private companies, entrepreneurs, tissue culture firms, progressive farmers, students, and individual farmers, reflecting the growing interest in quality-assured plant propagation systems.

The inaugural session was graced by dignitaries, including Dr Debasis Chattopadhyay, Director, BRIC-NIPGR, New Delhi and Co-ordinator of NCS-TCP; Dr Manoj Kumar Modi, Nodal Officer, NCS-TCP and Scientist F, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology; Dr JL Karihaloo, Co-Chairperson of PMEC (NCS-TCP); Dr Ashutosh Pandey, Principal Investigator, NCS-TCP and Scientist IV, BRIC-NIPGR, New Delhi; and Dr Nanaocha Sharma, Director (Additional Charge), BRIC-IBSD, Imphal.

In his address, Dr Nanaocha emphasized the importance of quality assurance in tissue culture plant production for sustainable agricultural development in the region.

Dr Debasis Chattopadhyay highlighted the national significance of the certification system in ensuring genetic uniformity and disease-free planting material.

Dr Manoj Kumar provided comprehensive insights into the operational framework and objectives of the NCS-TCP programme while Dr JL Karihaloo shared his expertise on plant genetic resources and quality certification systems.

In the technical sessions, Prof SB Babbar gave a talk on "Plant Tissue Culture: Science, Technology and Commerce" while Dr Ashutosh Pandey elaborated on "Impact and Achievements of NCS-TCP: Overview, SOPs & Guidelines" and Prof Potshangbam Nongdam Puren Meetei, Head, Department of Biotechnology, Manipur University, spoke on "Maintaining Genetic Uniformity: Clonal Fidelity Assessment in Tissue-Cultured Plants" .

Also, a highly engaging interactive session was conducted bringing together stakeholders from various sectors, including State Government representatives, tissue culture companies, and farming community members.

The session was chaired by Dr Debasis Chattopadhyay and Prof SB Babbar, with panelists including Dr Nanaocha Sharma, Dr Manoj Kumar Modi, Dr Ashutosh Pandey, Prof Potshangbam Nongdam Puren Meetei, and Dr Pardeep Kumar Bhardwaj, Scientist-F, BRIC-IBSD, Meghalaya Centre, Shillong.

Discussions covered experience sharing by Accredited Testing Laboratories (ATLs) on testing and certification, best practices from recognized Tissue Culture Production Facilities (TCPFs), farmer perspectives on using certified plants, and the importance of State Department-led plant certification initiatives.

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