NEW DELHI: Activists today criticised the biotech regulator GEAC's decision to recommend commercial use of genetically modified mustard in a submission to the environment ministry.
Coalition for a GM-Free India said it is no coincidence that credible committees are asking to stop the introduction of GM crops.
Their comments came a day after a parliamentary panel said that no GM crop should be introduced in India unless the bio-safety and socio-economic desirability is evaluated in a "transparent" process and an accountability regime is put in place.
The department-related parliamentary standing committee on science and technology and environment and forest chaired by Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury made its recommendations in its 301st report on 'GM crop and its impact on environment'.
The panel's comment came in the wake of India's GM crop regulator Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recently recommending the commercial use of genetically modified mustard in a submission to the environment ministry.
The coalition said the latest report is a reiteration in many ways of what earlier committees like the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture (2012 and 2013) had said as well as the majority report of the Supreme Court's Technical Expert Committee (2013).
"The fact that certain unacceptable lacunae are being pointed out again and again by neutral, independent committees in the law-making and judicial wings of our democracy clearly shows that there are serious problems with transgenic crops as well as their regulation.
"While the government is claiming that it is yet to take a decision with regard to GM mustard 'environmental release', it is clear that this GM food crop does not stand scrutiny under the parameters recommended by the Parliamentary Committee," the coalition said in a statement.
Some of the findings and consequent recommendations of the committee are a "strong indictment" on the approach of the various concerned ministries including the Ministry of Environment, Health and Agriculture with regard to GM crops, the coalition said.
It said the report also acknowledges the rejection of GM crops by state governments.
"The report clearly exposes how poor and unreliable the Indian regulatory regime is, in addition to exposing the lies of GM proponents including within the government.
"It is worrisome that there are no strong policy shifts happening despite repeated exposures of the failures of the Indian biotech regulation," the coalition said.
The Coalition also demanded an inquiry into the "farcical" recommendation of the GEAC for GM mustard environmental release, to "expose the anti-national elements" therein.
The Coalition said the GEAC should be immediately dissolved and its approvals and clearances annulled.
"The report keeps alive our faith in the Parliamentary processes, and we urge the Supreme Court also to take note of this report," the Coalition said.
Read this article:
Activists criticise recommendation on GM mustard by Genetic ... - The New Indian Express
- Genetic Engineering: Ancient Feats That Started A Revolution - Part 1 - Video - January 16th, 2014 [January 16th, 2014]
- Tissue Culture & Genetic Engineering can revive Sugar industry in UP: MODI - Video - February 9th, 2014 [February 9th, 2014]
- Genetic engineering - Definition and More from the Free ... - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering - humans, body, used, process, plants ... - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Genetic engineering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Ap genetic engineering 1 - Video - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- 4.3c - Genetic Engineering - Video - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering for Dummies - Video - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering - Video - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- The Genetic Engineering Of The Annunaki Gods - Chris Hardy - Video - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering Biology Project - Video - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering and Selective Human Breeding - Video - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- mr i explains: The Process of Genetic Engineering (for KS4) - Video - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- AP genetic engineering 2 - Video - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- Trait by trait, plant scientists swiftly weed out bad seeds through marker-assisted breeding - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- Vermont Senate passes GMO labeling bill - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- GMO Labeling Bill Passes Vermont Senate - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering - News - Science - The New York Times - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering: What is Genetic Engineering? - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering - Buzzle - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering - BiologyMad - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering - LeaderU.com - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering | Greenpeace International - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering | Buzzle.com - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- Routine blood glucose measurements can accurately estimate hemoglobin A1c in diabetes - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- Genome Editing - April 24th, 2014 [April 24th, 2014]
- Genetic Tricks Could Make Bionic Ears Hear Better - April 24th, 2014 [April 24th, 2014]
- Engineered E. coli produces high levels of D-ribose as described in Industrial Biotechnology journal - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- Scientists Build a Custom Chromosome - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- GEN Publishing introduces 'Clinical OMICs' digital publication - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- Deciphering Nature's Alphabet - 4. Imagining the Genome - Video - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- Remember the American Chestnut Tree on Arbor Day - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- CRISPR Webinar by Drs. Barrangon, Zhang and Church - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- CRISPR Cas9: A novel approach to genetic engineering - Video - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Minn. lawmakers consider GMO label - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering Overview - Video - April 28th, 2014 [April 28th, 2014]
- Plant Engineers Sow Debate - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- GENs Top 10 Session Picks for the 2014 BIO International Convention - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- TTA14-OGM-Genetic Engineering - Video - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- Genetic engineering and transgenic organisms - Video - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- An overview of Genetic Engineering 2 - Video - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering and Insulin - Video - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- Human Genetic Engineering Final Project - Video - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- No to Genetic Engineering | People and Politics - Video - May 3rd, 2014 [May 3rd, 2014]
- Korey Fung Ethics of Genetic Engineering Designer Babies Reproductive Revolution - Video - May 3rd, 2014 [May 3rd, 2014]
- Functional crops are coming - May 4th, 2014 [May 4th, 2014]
- Minecraft- Genetic Engineering Ranch Tour - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering Review - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- d27m - genetic engineering (omd cover) 2014 - Video - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Scientists Add New Letters to Lifes Genetic Alphabet - May 8th, 2014 [May 8th, 2014]
- Vermont governor to sign GMO labeling bill - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering Intro - Video - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- SAY NO TO GENETIC ENGINEERING ! SWINE FLU 2009 - Video - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- New DNA cleavage technique could lead to more versatile genetic engineering - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering By Anna from Germany - Video - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering with Nadia Ayoub - Video - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering Simplified - Video - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- 2. Dissecting Genders- by Religion, Society and Science (Malayalam) By Rukshana Mahamood - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- 1. Introduction - Gender Equations In FreeThought (Malayalam) By Rukshana Mahamood - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Gender Equations In FreeThought (Malayalam - FULL) By Rukshana Mahamood - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering Research Project - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- B3 Selective Breeding and Genetic Engineering - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Genetic engineering 2 - Video - May 20th, 2014 [May 20th, 2014]
- Court decision keeps NZ GE-free - May 22nd, 2014 [May 22nd, 2014]
- LW Genetic Engineering - Video - May 22nd, 2014 [May 22nd, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering And Cloning - Video - May 22nd, 2014 [May 22nd, 2014]
- Virus that helped eradicate smallpox takes on cancer in startups dual-mechanism immunotherapy - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- College Prep English at EIE May 29, 2014 - Video - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- Student Work:Genetically Modified Organisms:ChiChi (G8) - Video - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- 03 Genetic Engineering - Video - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- 04 Genetic Engineering cont - Video - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- How Genetic Engineering Can Cure Drug Addiction? Michael Crichton on Treatment (2006) - Video - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- Crowd marches against genetic engineering of food - Video - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- Scotch Moses: Genetic Engineering - Video - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- Growing The Good Seed - Video - June 2nd, 2014 [June 2nd, 2014]
- Genetic engineering and the Vedas - Video - June 4th, 2014 [June 4th, 2014]
- Genetic Engineering Presentation - Video - June 4th, 2014 [June 4th, 2014]
- Hawaii: Fear over GM plants and pesticides | Global 3000 - Video - June 4th, 2014 [June 4th, 2014]
- genetic engineering -- Encyclopedia Britannica - June 12th, 2014 [June 12th, 2014]
- A Vaccine for Heart Disease Could Mean No Pills, Lettuce or a Gym - June 14th, 2014 [June 14th, 2014]