The Centre for Human Genetics (CHG) is engaged in advanced research, education and specialized training in human genetics and genomics, especially in the context of human disease. The Centre was founded at a time when the first draft sequence of the human genome was about to become publicly available and the importance of this development for biology and medicine was becoming evident. The founding members of the CHG Society included Padma Bhushan Dr. ArcotRamachandran, (formerly Secretary, DST and DG, CSIR and Under Secretary General, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements); Dr. D.M. Nanjundappa(formerlyDeputy Chairman, State Planning Board and VC,Bangalore University), Padma Bhushan Dr. S.Ramachandran, (formerly Secretary, Departmentof Biotechnology, Government of India); PadmaVibhushan Prof. Obaid Siddiqi (formerly Director,National Centre for Biological Sciences) and Dr.R.M. Varma (formerly Director, NIMHANS) and Prof. M. A. Viswamitra, Prof. N. Appaji Rao and Prof. H. Sharat Chandra from the Indian Instituteof Science (appointed Honorary Director of the Centre). The Government of Karnataka enabled the establishment of this institution by including it as a significant component of its Millennium Biotech Policy (2000). Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chair of the State's Vision Group on Biotechnology was a key catalyst in the Centre's founding.