Were GM mustard trials illegal?

The commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) variety of mustard should not be approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) due to alleged violations in field trials, suppression of biosafety information on testing and contamination of local species, activists from Coalition for GM Free India said on Wednesday. The 'coalition' is a loose network of organisations that are campaigning to keep India GM-free. According to the non-profit organisation, the field trial of the GM mustard that was carried out in Bathinda violated standard procedures, and failed to burn and destroy the trial crop following its harvest.

The GM mustard crop in India has been developed by Delhi University's Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants. The research on the transgenic is headed by Dr Deepak Pental, the director of the Centre and ex-vice chancellor of Delhi University. The GM Mustard being pushed for commercialisation is named Dhara mustard hybrid (DMH 11) and has been developed with funding from Department of Biotechnology and National Dairy Development Board. Pental and his team claim that the GM mustard will increase yield by "20-25 per cent" and help in bringing down imports of edible oil.

Speaking on the alleged violations in field trials and suppressing of information, Kavita Kuruganti, convenor, coalition for GM free India said, "We visited the field trial site in Bhatinda and saw that the crops were not destroyed and the GEAC should fix liability for such lapses." Kuruganti's colleague Ramesh Krishnan said, "Mustard-contaminaiton is common from all over the world and if this happening in just three trials of GM food crops in the country, it can surely happen for many other GM trials and even after commercialisation." The GEAC, Kurganti added, in violation of a Supreme Court order on GM organisms did not provide information on the biosafety tests carried out during the field trials. In reply to her right to information query, the ministry of environment replied, "the matter is under process and the information cannot be provided at this stage."

Reacting to the allegations of the non-profit organisation, Pental spoke to dna and said, "Although I was not personally present at the field trial sites, I do no think the experts in-charge did not follow standard procedures. As far as gene transfer is concerned, plants certainly do pollinate but only under selective pressure." Pental added that all biosafety tests have not been submitted to the GEAC and hence they have not given information under RTI. "It will take us about a month's time to complete our proposal and final studies are yet to be submitte to the GEAC.

The 'coalition' said that since India is already on the third position when it comes to mustard production, it does not need a GM mustard variety, that may contaminate local varieties.