Scientists urge Centre to pass crucial Bill to end GM crop debate

A session on genetically modified (GM) crops at the Indian Science Congress witnessed a heated debate on Monday when some of the attendees raised doubts over the technology.

The session was chaired by Dr Rajendra Singh Paroda, ex-director of Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The speakers were Dr Asis Datta, senior scientist of the National Institute of Plant Genome Research), Deepak Pental, HOD of Delhi University's genetics department, Dr JL Karihaloo from the Asia Pacific consortium on agricultural biotechnology and Dr Anupam Varma from Indian Agricultural Research Institute.

All speakers stressed upon the need of growing GM crops considering the population growth of the country. Some attendees however cited the example of farmer suicides in Vidarbha and said that the GM cotton experiment has miserably failed and farmers were now using desi seeds.

The scientists said that the media and NGOs were spreading misconceptions about BT crops.

Dr Paroda said, "GM crops are helpful to Indian farmers and we need to encourage the crops by erasing all obstacles." He also regretted the fact that the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, 2013, is still pending. The bill intends to regulate the organisms and products of modern biotechnology, which includes GM crops.

The scientists decided that they would urge the union government to bring an ordinance to expedite the formation of the BT regulatory authority to put an end to debate on the issue.