Status of transgenic crops in India
26-08-2023
01:15 PM
What’s in today’s article?
- Why in news?
- What are GM Crops?
- GM Crops and Transgenic Crops
- Wha is the Legal position of genetically modified crops in India?
- What are the Benefits of GM Crops?
- What are the Concerns surrounding GM crops?
- News Summary: Status of transgenic crops in India
- What is the status of transgenic crops in India?
- What is the process of regulating transgenic crops in India?
- The need for approval from state governments
Why in news?
- Three States, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana, have deferred a proposal to test a new kind of transgenic cotton seed that contains a gene, Cry2Ai.
- Cry2Ai, that purportedly makes cotton resistant to pink bollworm, a major pest.
- The proposal was approved by the Centre’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
- GEAC functions in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- It is responsible for appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.
- It is also responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials.
What are GM Crops?
- Conventional plant breeding involves crossing species of the same genus to provide the offspring with the desired traits of both parents.
- Genetic engineering aims to transcend the genus barrier by introducing an alien gene in the seeds to get the desired effects.
- The alien gene could be from a plant, an animal or even a soil bacterium.
- E.g., Bt cotton has two alien genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
- It allows the crop to develop a protein toxic to the common pest pink bollworm.
- In Bt brinjal, a gene allows the plant to resist attacks of fruit and shoot borer.
- Crops produced using genetic engineering are called Genetically Modified Crops.
GM Crops and Transgenic Crops
- It should be noted that all transgenic crops are genetically modified crops, but not all genetically modified crops are transgenic.
- Transgenic crops are a specific subset of genetically modified crops.
- The term "transgenic" refers to the process of introducing genes from one species into the DNA of a different species.
- In the context of crops, transgenic crops are created when genes from one organism, such as bacteria, animals, or other plants, are inserted into the DNA of a target crop plant.
What is the Legal position of genetically modified crops in India?
- In India, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex body that allows for commercial release of GM crops.
- In 2002, the GEAC had allowed the commercial release of Bt cotton.
- Use of the unapproved GM variant can attract a jail term of 5 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh under the Environmental Protection Act ,1989.
What are the Benefits of GM Crops?
- In the case of cotton, farmers cite the high cost of weeding, which goes down considerably if they grow Ht Bt cotton.
- Similarly, Bt brinjal reduces the cost of production by cutting down on the use of pesticides.
- Other benefits include:
- improves production and raise farmer's income;
- can feed a rapidly increasing population as it shows increased yields
- ensures production of more nutritious food
- Disease- and drought-resistant plants that require fewer environmental resources (such as water and fertilizer)
- Food with more desirable traits
What are the Concerns surrounding GM crops?
- Imposes high risks to the disruption of ecosystem and biodiversity
- Better traits produced through engineered genes favours one organisms over others which can eventually disrupt the natural process of gene flow.
- Leads to creation of foods that can cause an allergic or toxic reaction
- Increases the cost of cultivation as farmers have to rely on companies for the seeds
- Inadvertent transfer of genes from one GM plant or animal to another plant or animal might lead to unintended genetic modification harmful to the ecosystem.
- Environmentalists argue that the long-lasting effect of GM crops is yet to be studied and thus they should not be released commercially.
News Summary: Status of transgenic crops in India
What is the status of transgenic crops in India?
- 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.
- In October 2022, the GEAC approved the environmental release of Mustard hybrid DMH-11.
- This is one step away from full commercial cultivation.
What is the process of regulating transgenic crops in India?
- There are multiple safety assessments done by committees before they are cleared for further tests in open plots of lands.
- These lands are located at either agricultural universities or plots controlled by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).
- Open field trials often take place over multiple crop seasons and types of geographical conditions, to assess its suitability across different States.
- 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 without posing ecological harm to other species.
The need for approval from state governments
- 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.
- In the present case of Cry2Ai, only Haryana gave permission for such tests.
- The Cry2Ai seed had passed preliminary, confined trials and was recommended by the GEAC to be tested in farmer’s fields at Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
Q1) What is Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)?
The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organization under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India. It is the apex body responsible for coordinating and promoting agricultural research and education in India. ICAR serves as a national-level organization that oversees and coordinates research and development activities in the field of agriculture and allied sciences. Its primary objective is to enhance agricultural productivity, improve rural livelihoods, and ensure food and nutritional security in the country.
Q2) What is Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)?
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is a statutory body in India responsible for assessing and approving the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and products derived from modern biotechnology. It operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The primary mandate of the GEAC is to ensure the safety of environmental release and commercial use of GMOs in the country. It evaluates applications for research, field trials, and commercial release of genetically modified crops, including genetically modified seeds, plants, and other organisms. The committee assesses the potential risks and benefits associated with these genetically modified products and makes decisions based on scientific evidence and regulatory guidelines.
Source: Explained | What is the status of transgenic crops in India? | Indian Express