Even as a designated regulatory panel has got a favourable opinion on genetically-modified (GM) mustard from its bio-safety committee, several states, including Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the two top producers of the oilseed, have come out against it. The development could thwart the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee’s (GEAC) reported plan to allow commercial cultivation of a GM mustard variety developed by scientists at Delhi University. If allowed, GM mustard will be the first genetically-engineered food crop to be cultivated in India; the previous UPA government had put a moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in 2010.
