ICAR, ICMR join hands for research, sign pact

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) today signed a pact to jointly work to strengthen research in four areas, including zoonotic diseases like bird flu.
A memorandum of understanding was signed here today by senior officials of ICAR and ICMR in presence of Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Health Minister J P Nadda.
"This is for the first time that ICAR has signed an MoU with ICMR to work together and strengthen research. We have identified four core areas," ICAR DG Trilochan Mohapatra told PTI after the meeting.
He said the research will be done in zoonotic diseases like bird flu and swine flu.

"So, we have labs in Bhopal to test bird flu. ICMR can utilise those labs and focus research on sudden outbreak of bird flu, its diagnostic and what is the mechanism for transfer of this disease to human being," he added.
The research will also be done in the area of antimicrobial resistance, impact of pesticides on animals and human beings and impact of nutrition on animals and humans.
The MoU is for long-term association between the two premium research institutes, Mohapatra said.
"In view of the current outbreak of avian influenza/bird flu in Delhi and other states with H5N8, the MoU becomes more relevant to work cohesively and in collaboration to prevent and control such emergent sudden outbreaks," an official statement said.