Manipal varsity can’t accept foreign funds
NEWDELHI: IN a rare move, the government has barred the Karnataka-based Manipal University from receiving foreign funds after it allegedly carried out research on the Nipah virus, a a biological warfare grade pathogen, according to a senior government official who didn’t want to be named. The institution confirmed the move, but denied the allegation.
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) suspended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act -2010 (FCRA) account of the university for carrying out the “unauthorized” research at the Manipal Institute of Virology, the official said. “The account of Manipal University was suspended in January,” he added.
Manipal Institute of Virology carried out the tests on the Nipah virus, of which there was an outbreak in Kerala in 2018 and 2019. HT reported first on February 7 that the government had asked Manipal University and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – a federal agency of the US — to stop the research.
An official communication reviewed by HT, titled “Unapproved, Us-funded Indian Laboratory stored samples of Nipah Virus – a bioterrorism agent,” noted, “the Ministry has taken a serious view of the matter.” The university was asked to stop the research and hand over samples to the Pune-based NIV. The FCRA-2010, an internal security legislation, regulates and monitors the use of foreign contributions, donations and hospitality extended to Indian organisations and individuals. Foreign donations and contributions to nongovernmental organizations and charitable trusts whose activities were considered to be questionable have been blocked in the past. But foreign aid and grants to universities and educational institutions have rarely been blocked.
The Union home ministry, which administers the FCRA2010, did not respond to queries. Manipal University admitted that the MHA had suspended the FCRA account of the university for its research on Nipah virus.
In a detailed response to queries from Hindustan Times, Manipal University said it wrote to the MHA objecting to the block on the institution receiving foreign funds. “The University has not used any foreign contribution for Nipah testing. In addition, the University has filed reports on the use of foreign funding every 15 days,” Dr G Arun Kumar, the director of the Manipal University of Virology, said. “Manipal Centre Virus Research (now Manipal Institute of Virology)was established in 2010 as the first operational ICMR Grade1 Virus Research Diagnostic Laboratory. The recent action of the government is actually nullifying the facility,” Kumar said.
“We have taken due diligence in bio-safety and bio-security of the Nipah samples handling at MIV and followed WHO EBOLA molecular diagnostic guidelines...we deny all allegations.” Kumar said.