· Three States, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana, have
deferred a proposal, approved by the Centre’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal
Committee (GEAC), to test a new kind of transgenic cotton seed that
contains a gene, Cry2Ai, that
purportedly makes cotton resistant to pink bollworm, a major pest. The conflict
shows that a broad acceptance of genetically modified crops continues to be
elusive.
· There is an array of crops — brinjal,
tomato, maize, chickpea — in various stages of trials that employ
transgenic technology. However, cotton
remains the only transgenic crop that is being commercially cultivated in
India.
· After a long hiatus, the GEAC,
the apex technical body charged with evaluating proposals for testing genetically modified (GM) seeds, approved the environmental release of Mustard hybrid DMH-11 and its parental lines, during its 147th meeting on 18 October
2022 for seed production and testing. This is one step away from full
commercial cultivation.
· However, the GEAC, which is under
the Union Environment Ministry, isn’t the final arbiter in the case of GM crops.
There is long-standing litigation in the Supreme Court on the permissibility of
allowing transgenic food crops in farmer fields based on petitions filed by
activist Aruna Rodrigues and Gene Campaign, an NGO. Following the GEAC approval
for DMH-11, the petitioners approached the Supreme Court asking for a stay on
the release of the crop because it would encourage farmers to spray herbicides,
which are banned in India. Hearings on this case are still ongoing. In 2017,
the GEAC had accorded clearance for GM mustard but went back on its decision
and imposed additional tests. In 2010, the GEAC
had approved GM Brinjal, but this was put on an “indefinite moratorium” by
the United Progressive Alliance government.
· The process of developing transgenic crops is an elaborate one as
inserting transgenic genes into plants to elicit a sustained, protective
response is a mix of both science and chance. There are multiple safety
assessments done by committees before they are cleared for further tests in
open plots of land which are located at either agricultural universities or
plots controlled by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research
(ICAR).
· A transgenic plant can apply for commercial clearance, only after it has
proven to be demonstrably better than comparable non-GM variants on claimed
parameters (for instance, drought tolerance or insect resistance) without
posing ecological harm to other species that may be being cultivated in the
vicinity. Open field trials often take place over multiple crop seasons and
types of geographical conditions, to assess its suitability across different
States.
· The cotton seed has been developed by the Hyderabad-based Bioseed
Research India with Cry2Ai which makes it resistant
to pink bollworm. The first generations of transgenic cotton had been
developed to inure cotton against a more widespread pest called the American bollworm. The Cry2Ai seed has
passed preliminary, confined trials and was recommended by the GEAC to be
tested in farmer’s fields at Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana. Agriculture being a State subject means
that, in most cases, companies interested in testing their seeds need approvals
from the States for conducting such tests.
Only Haryana gave permission for such tests.
· This was after the GEAC in October 2022 sent letters to all States to
“communicate their views/comments” within two months on the proposal. Telangana
requested GEAC for a 45-day extension to consider the proposal. On May 16,
Telangana responded that it would not allow trials to be conducted in the
current cropping season. Gujarat later responded that the proposal was
“unacceptable” to them, but did not furnish reasons.
· Following these responses, the GEAC has asked the Department of
Biotechnology (DBT) and the ICAR to “jointly organise capacity-building
activities with regard to GM crops for apprising the State/UT Government(s)
about the technology involved and the regulatory framework in place for
evaluation of these GM crops.” Activist groups objected to the GEAC asking
States to furnish reasons for disapproval and said that it was tantamount to a
“biased lobbying approach” according to KavithaKuruganti, a member of the
Coalition for a GM-free India.
· The GEAC consists of a panel of plant biotechnologists and is headed by
a senior official of the Environment Ministry and co-chaired by the scientist
of the DBT. To resolve the issue of States not according
to approvals on testing, because of differing attitudes to GM crops, the GEAC is considering a
proposal by the DBT to declare some regions across India as ‘notified testing
sites. There are 42 such proposed sites and, if it goes through, companies and
institutions wanting to conduct trials of GM crops at these locations won’t
need the permission of States for trials.