The National Bioresource Development Board (NBDB) under the Department of Biotechnology has taken a pro-active role in creating better awareness on issues concerning biodiversity and bioresources. As a part of its mandate, it has been promoting deeper awareness among school students regarding the importance of our environment, biodiversity, biotechnology and the relation of all these with everyday life. To create an enlightened brigade of bright, young students curious about the world around them and its importance a Vacation Training Programme on Bioresources was launched in the year 2002. This programme is held annually for the children who have appeared in the class X board exams. The programme is for 3-4 weeks duration, fully residential and held during the summer vacations, in which upto 30 children are trained. The course consists of interactive lectures, hands-on lab & fieldwork and individual projects of relevance to the students such as study of plants, animals, microbes of their area, web page designing on bioresources, simple biotechnology-based experiments etc. This is a unique activity immensely benefiting school children. Since its inception in 2002, more than 1100 students have been successfully trained across India in 41 programmes.

In view of the overwhelming response of the students to the 'Vacation Training Programme on Bioresources for school children' the Department has now launched DNA clubs (DBT's Natural Resources Awareness clubs) in 145 schools across 23 states and UTs of the country. The Vacation Training Programme being conducted by NBDB for the past 5 years will also be a part of the DNA club programme, The program envisages setting up DBT Natural Resources Awareness Clubs – “DNA Clubs” – in selected schools in each state. These clubs will operate as a nucleus for a suite of activities and hands-on learning opportunities focusing on bioresources that seamlessly blend with formal course curriculums. Regional Resource Agencies (RRAs) have been established at different locations in the country to facilitate this activity.

These clubs concentrate on hands-on training for children, lectures by eminent experts, field visits to national institutes engaged in biotechnology research and nature walks. The agencies selected to be RRAs are as follows:

- Gujarat Council of Science City, Ahmedabad
- The National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad
- Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University , Rajouri
- Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research, Pune
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), New Delhi
- TERI-Northeastern Regional Centre, Guwahati
- Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal
- M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai (Coordinator Southern Region including six separate RRAs)
- Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research Center (MCRC), Chennai
- St. John's College, Palayamkottai
- Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy, Loyola College, Chennai
- Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History (SACON), Anaikatty (P.O.), Coimbatore
- The American College, Chennai, Madurai
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ARTEE), Bangalore

About the schools contact programme:
In addition to the setting up of RRAs for DNA clubs in schools, it was also felt important to have a school contact programme through which quiz competitions, film shows etc in different schools at the regional and national levels. This programme is being hosted by National Geographic Channel. This organization will also be responsible for showcasing short films on Bioresources and their effective conservation. The programme would spread the reach of DNA club programmes even in schools which do not have DBT's DNA clubs. A major objective of this programme is to bring fun and interactive classroom films viewing exercise for the children in order to spread and diffuse knowledge about bioresources in a different and interesting manner. In addition it would hold quiz shows. The winner(s) of the quiz shows will be suitably rewarded.