GEAC approval to GM Mustard

Vibha Sharma

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New Delhi, October 27

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee’s (GEAC) environmental clearance for indigenously developed genetically modified (GM) mustard seeds has resulted in much furore among a section of environmental and agriculture activists with Sangh affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) also joining the fierce criticism against the move.

Warning of “serious resistance by citizens”, the coalition for a GM-free India has sought the support of “right-thinking state governments” while reminding Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav of his own views on the issue.

Swadeshi Jagaran Manch wrote to Yadav, calling it unsubstantiated that GM Mustard will increase productivity.

“Another aspect that we would like to highlight is the unsubstantiated and wrongly projected claim that GM mustard will increase domestic production and reduce our import dependence,” said the SJM.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee has recommended the environmental release of GM mustard variety DMH (Dhara Mustard Hybrid)-11 (the variety shown to deliver 30 per cent higher yields than existing ones), paving the way for commercial use of the first GM food crop.

While developers and supporters called the decision “path-breaking”, RSS-affiliate SJM said they have written to the government against the move.

“Since 2016-17, nothing has changed when the GEAC gave the recommendation which the ministry ignored. All its arguments favouring GM mustard are false. We already have indigenous varieties with better yields.

“Their arguments of ‘swadeshi’ research are also false, why should we give our seeds in the hands of MNCs. The indigenous ‘sarson’ has medicinal value and is used extensively in Ayurveda. Besides, India enjoys a non-GM food tag, which it will lose with the approval, hitting exports to European countries,” said SJM co-convenor Ashwini Mahajan.

According to the minutes of the meeting in which the approval was granted, the recommendation will be valid for four years from the date of the approval letter. Further studies and coordinated trials will also have to be conducted jointly with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) within two years.

State governments will have power to deny permission of environmental release. The approval may be revoked if any evidence regarding harmful effects of the approved GM mustard comes under notice.

Field demonstration studies on the impact of the mustard variety on honey bees and other pollinators will also have to be conducted after the environmental release by the applicant within two years under the ICAR’s supervision, and a report submitted to the GEAC.

Geneticist and former Delhi University VC Deepak Pental, who developed the seeds along with his team, called it a “landmark development”.

“We will provide the technology to seed producing companies. We will hopefully be able to put the seeds on trial in the farmers’ field in the third year,” he said.

Supporters said the move will boost the cultivation of mustard and reduce India’s edible oils import bills.

The science and technology ministry said India is streamlining regulations for development of genome-edited plants.

“Modern biotechnology has been advancing at a rapid pace with the advent of new molecular techniques and their potential applications. Plant genome editing is amongst one of the most promising technologies in terms of applied biological research and innovation with a huge economic potential in a wide range of sectors.

“New plant varieties with improved traits would contribute towards increasing farmers’ income. Overall, this regulatory streamlining will bring transformational change in product development and commercialisation and thereby will contribute to the agenda for Atmanirbhar Bharat of government of India,” according to the ministry.

However, activist Kavitha Kuruganti argued that nothing has changed from 2017 when the regulator gave a green signal but the decision was not cleared by the minister and the ministry.

“Only two additional tests have been prescribed by GEAC in a perfunctory and irresponsible fashion since then as though the debate about GM mustard was about these two aspects alone. What is worse, the crop developer did not do these studies and pleaded with the regulators against such studies. GM mustard got to this stage in the first instance by the regulatory body colluding with the crop developer in circumventing bio-safety assessment in numerous ways,” she said

Around 2017, Pental’s team came close to getting the approval to grow GM mustard seeds commercially but was stumped in the wake of resistance from activists. The approval will make GM mustard the second approved transgenic crop in India after Bt cotton and the first food crop to be commercially cultivated by farmers.