Recently the ministry of health and family welfare, government of India nominated Dr Lalji Singh,vice chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU),as the chairman of high power committee for the regulation of stem cell and other cell based therapies being practiced in India.

The committee will have four experts, with the chief scientist of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad Dr Gopal Pande as a member of the committee and the rest two members will be appointed by Dr Singh.

In the meantime, the high power committee will review the current scenario of the stem cell therapy in the country and make particular recommendations on the effective regulation of stem cell products and stem cell therapy or research by Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

The committee is accountable to indicate the area, which do not come under the domain of CDSCO but need the direction of other bodies if any. The committee will also propose the pre-requisite to be followed for the approval of proposed indications for the stem cell products or therapies with the required differentiation of 'who will control the claims mentioned under therapy which may fall out of domain of CDSCO. Furthermore, this committee will suggest a road map to establish collaboration and training programme with international agencies. And hence it will suggest the future scope of stem cell therapy and other bodies in the country.