GM Mustard Crop

The Supreme Court observed on Tuesday it is more concerned about the risk factors than anything else when it comes to the conditional approval granted by the Centre for environmental release of genetically modified (GM) Mustard. On October 25 last year, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Union environment ministry had approved the environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 and the parental lines containing barnase, barstar and bar genes so they can be used for developing new hybrids. The apex court is hearing separate pleas by activist Aruna Rodrigues and NGO 'Gene Campaign' seeking a moratorium on the release of any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment pending a comprehensive, transparent and rigorous bio-safety protocol in the public domain conducted by agencies of independent expert bodies the results of which are made public. The matter came up for hearing on Tuesday before a bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and B

Indian Institutions engaged in developing GM seeds for 13 crops

Claims that GM mustard will lead to increased yield are incorrect; we must focus on other solutions

GM crops will boost yields

Activists claims Centre misleading SC on GM mustard

The next hearing will be on November 29

This comes after the court told the Centre on November 3 not to allow the planting of genetically modified (GM) mustard until the next hearing

Almost 200 activists gathered outside the Directorate of Mustard Research in Bharatpur (Rajasthan), calling for halting the approvals

The plea stated that the modified seeds can contaminate non-GM mustard crops and that the sowing of such seeds should be put on hold

Uncertainty surrounds the second attempt to introduce the genetically modified oilseed

The bench queried the Centre's counsel on the current status in connection with the environmental release of GM mustard

Edible oil body plans sow the seeds in 200 out of the 1,000-odd model mustard farms that it plans to set up this season

An official clarification made later says approval has come from GEAC, which is authorised to do so, and not from MoEF

Government agri-research body ICAR can conduct field demos and trials of the recently approved GM-mustard hybrid DMH-11 this rabi season and make it available for commercial use within three years, top officials of agri think-tank NASS and TASS said on Monday. On October 25, the environment ministry approved the "environment release" of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 and the parental lines containing barnase, barstar and bar genes so that they can be used for developing new hybrids under the supervision of The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Addressing a joint press conference, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NASS) President Trilochan Mohapatra and Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) Chairman R S Paroda said the environment release of DMH-11 is a "landmark decision" breaking a long logjam on the release of GM food crops. The ICAR should be in a position to conduct field demonstrations and trials of DMH-11 in the next 10-15 days in key .

Even the opinion of farmers' groups seems divided after AIKS comes out in support

BKS calls for CBI and ED probe while office of PM's scientific advisor welcomes it

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch on Friday opposed a regulatory body's recommendation for environmental release of genetically modified mustard, calling it "dangerous" and urged the Centre to ensure that the crop's seed is not allowed to be planted "now or ever". In a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, the RSS-affiliated organisation accused the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) of functioning in an "irresponsible fashion" and said the claims made in support of genetically modified (GM) mustard were "completely untrue, unsubstantiated and wrongly projected". "Swadeshi Jagran Manch has all along been opposing this dangerous and unneeded GM mustard being brought in through the backdoor as a public sector (genetically modified organism (GMO)," Swadeshi Jagran Manch co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said in the letter. The ministry had earlier kept the regulatory clearance for the operationalisation of the recommendation made in favour of GM mustard in abeyance to se

This, several experts said, is a firm indication that the matter has been cleared at the highest echelons

First crop to get such recommendation since Bt cotton in years, say experts

The approval was put on hold pending formal clearance from the minister who wanted further tests to settle the issue