A group of 10 distinguished agricultural scientists (including three Padma Bhushan and two Padma Shri awardees) have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his urgent intervention to get the stay on genetically modified (GM) mustard vacated on priority.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had approved (25 Oct 2022) the environmental release of GM mustard for hybrid seed production, including the first hybrid DMH-11, with post-release ICAR-led trials and pollinator studies. However, a Public Interest Litigation led to an oral order by a two-judge bench on November 3, 2022, halting post-release trials. The Court later delivered a split verdict in August 2024, with one judge supporting the release on scientific grounds while the other quashed it, leading to continued uncertainty and a stay order.
Prominent agricultural scientists, including Dr R.S. Paroda, Dr G. Padmanaban, Prof R.B. Singh, and Dr B.S. Dhillon, raised concerns that the country has already lost two crucial years since GM mustard was released in 2022, depriving farmers of the benefits of a made-in-India technology. They warned that missing the mid-October sowing window of 2025 would waste yet another season for obtaining crucial data, hybrid development, and eventual commercial release for farmers.
In their joint appeal, the scientists highlighted that India has already made global strides in agricultural biotechnology, with ICAR’s release of two genome-edited rice lines being recognised as a world first. However, progress on GM mustard remains stalled despite MoEF&CC’s environmental clearance in October 2022.
The scientists stressed that the genes used in GM mustard hybrids have been safely deployed in rapeseed hybrids in Canada, the USA, and Australia for decades without adverse effects. All biosafety tests conducted in India, they noted, also showed no negative impacts.
They urged the Prime Minister to direct coordinated efforts by the legal team and concerned ministries to ensure that MoEF&CC’s decision is upheld. They emphasised that a policy framework for GM crops is already in place, and implementation of the MoEF&CC decision is vital to improve mustard productivity and make India atmanirbhar in edible oils.
The appeal has been signed by several eminent figures, including:
Dr R.S. Paroda, former DG, ICAR and Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS)
Dr G. Padmanaban, former Director, IISc Bangalore
Prof R.B. Singh, former IARI Director and former ADG, FAO Asia-Pacific
Dr B.S. Dhillon, former Vice-Chancellor, PAU Ludhiana
Dr C.D. Mayee, former Chairman, ASRB
Dr Sudhir Sopory, former Vice-Chancellor, JNU
Dr N.K. Singh, National Professor, B.P. Pal Chair in Genetics & Plant Breeding
Dr Ashok K. Singh, former Director, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi
Dr Anupam Varma, former President, World Society for Virology, and former ICAR National Professor
Dr J.L. Karihaloo, former Director, ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi
Source : Ruralvoice
