Panjab University Faculty Member Dr. Jagdish Rai Felicitated at National BioE3 Conclave at NABI, Mohali
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh felicitated Dr. Jagdish Rai, Chairperson, Department of Forensic Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh, at the National Conclave on BioE3 at BRIC-NABI, Mohali.
Narvijay Yadav
Sep 1, 2026 05:49
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Chandigarh, September 1, 2026: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh felicitated Dr. Jagdish Rai, Chairperson, Department of Forensic Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh, at the National Conclave on BioE3 at BRIC-NABI, Mohali.
The felicitation was part of the prize distribution ceremony for the winners of the D.E.S.I.G.N. for BioE3 Challenge, an initiative of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.
Dr. Rai received the Rs.1 lakh prize for his winning design proposal under Design for BioE3 (Category 2), which proposes an Animal-Friendly Affinity Reagent (AFA)-based lateral flow assay for rapid, on-site detection of narcotic drugs. The proposed innovation seeks to replace conventional animal-derived antibodies with fully recombinant, non-animal-derived affinity reagents designed to specifically recognise narcotic drugs and their metabolites.
The programme was also attended by Prof. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Director General, BRIC and Chairperson, BIRAC, and Prof. Ashwani Pareek, Executive Director, BRIC-NABI, Mohali, among other senior scientists and dignitaries. The programme included scientific sessions, industry and startup perspectives, and discussions on strengthening domestic biomanufacturing capabilities.
The National Conclave focused on advancing industry-ready biomanufacturing under the BioE3 Policy and brought together scientists, innovators, biotechnology institutions, industry representatives and other stakeholders.
