Regulations of GM foods in India
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Regulations of GM foods in India
Subject :Science and Technology
Context:
- In India, all GMOs including GE plants are regulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) as per rules notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- All activities related to GMOs and products are regulated as per “Rules for the Manufacture/Use/Import/Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms, Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989” (commonly referred to as Rules, 1989) under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- Guidelines and protocols are in place for safety assessment of GM foods.
- GM foods are also subjected to regulations by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
- MoEFCC being the nodal ministry for biosafety regulations has implemented the Phase II Capacity Building Project on Biosafety with support from Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), to strengthen the biosafety management in India.
- ‘Enhancing Public Awareness’ is one of the key thrust areas of the project and is essential for
- better understanding of the biosafety regulatory framework.
- Six competent authorities, their composition and roles have been notified under the Rules, 1989.
- The function of these six competent authorities is given in Table 1.
Table 1: Competent Authorities as per Rules, 1989
| Statutory committee | Function | Housed at |
| rDNA Advisory Committee (RDAC) | Review developments in biotechnology and recommend appropriate safety regulations for recombinant DNA research, use and applications | Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology |
| Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC) | Responsible for ensuring adherence to safety guidelines for experimentation at designated location | All organizations engaged in activities involving GMOs |
| Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) | Review all ongoing rDNA projects and approve experiments falling in risk category III and above; also responsible for bringing out manuals of guidelines for conduct of GMO research and use | Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology |
| Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) | Authorized to review, monitor and approve all activities including import, export, transport, manufacture, use or sale of GMOs and products thereof from environment angle | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change |
| State Biotechnology Coordination committee (SBCC) | Monitoring and supervision at state level | Concerned State Governments |
| District Level Committee (DLC) | Supervision and compliance at district level | Concerned State Governments |
Status of GM crops in India-
- India has approved commercial cultivation of only one GM crop, Bt cotton.
- No GM food crop has ever been approved for commercial cultivation in the country.
- However, confined field trials have been allowed for at least 20 GM crops.
- That includes varieties of GM rice which would have improved resistance to insects and diseases, as well as hybrid seed production and nutritional enhancements such as golden rice.