Permission for GM mustard subject to strict terms and conditions, Centre tells SC
- November 12, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Permission for GM mustard subject to strict terms and conditions, Centre tells SC
Subject: Environment
Context-
- The Centre has told the supreme court that its permission for the “environmental release of genetically modified mustard” is subject to “stringent terms and conditions” to ensure environmental safeguards Of the country.
Legal action-
- During the period of approval a Post-release monitoring committee (PRMC) will be set up by the GEAC comprising subject matter experts and a nominee each from Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) and GEAC.
- the PRMC will visit the sites where the seeds are tested at least once during each season and submit its report to the GEAC on compliance.
Honey Bee data-
- Any such usage with the approval of the Central Insecticide Board & Regulation Committee (CIBRC) would attract legal action under the central insecticide act 1968 and rules 1971 and Environmental Protection Act 1986.
- The ICAR will supervise the cultivation as per its guidelines rules and regulations after which Commercial cultivation will start.
- The commercial use will be subject to the Seed act 1966 and related rules and regulations.
- Data on honey bees and other pollinators will be generated during these two years under ICAR supervision to help generate additional data on the impact of GM mustard on these beings.
- Cultivation of canola in Canada and Australia, which belongs to the mustard family, increase the number of honey bee colonies from 4.73 lakh in 1974 to 7.73 lakh in 2018 with the area under canola rising by 7 times to 21.4 9 million occurring during the period.
Genetically Modified Mustard (DMH-11)-
- The CGMCP scientists have deployed the barnase-barstar GM technology to create what they say is a robust and viable hybridisation system in mustard.
- This system was used to develop DMH-11 by crossing a popular Indian mustard variety ‘Varuna’ (the barnase line) with an East European ‘Early Heera-2’ mutant (barstar).
- DMH-11 is claimed to have shown an average 28% yield increase over Varuna in contained field trials carried out by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Advantages:
- Genetically modified seeds increase the yield of the plant by 28%.
- Reducing India’s import bill.
- Helps in containing food inflation
Disadvantages:
- Only a few companies are in charge of creating and selling modified seeds. With a near monopoly, this means that there are few choices available to those buying seeds.
- Seeds can’t be replanted i.e. every plantation required buying of new seeds.
- They can decrease species diversity.
- The second concern is over GM mustard threatening or undermining the population of honey bees.
- Mustard flowers are a source of nectar for honey bees and many other pollinator insects.
Need for development of a Genetically Modified variety of Mustard-
The compelling motive here could be India’s spiralling edible oil import bill. The country produces only 8.5-9 million tonnes (mt) of edible oil annually while importing 14-14.5 mt which entailed a record foreign exchange outgo of $18.99 billion in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2022.