BHUBANESWAR, Thirty years back, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation of what was later called Yellow Revolution. The Oilseeds Technology Mission he launched in 1986 transformed India from being a major importer of edible oil to being self-sufficient in 1993-94, that is, in less than a decade. It was a remarkable achievement, indeed.

 

Then a downslide started. India bowed to World Trade Organisation pressures to kill its Yellow Revolution. The demise of the Yellow Revolution is a classic case of how a promising sector was sacrificed at the altar of economic liberalisation.

Manon Verchot, This week the Environment Ministry released a report finding that genetically-modified mustard is not harmful to health.

 

The report, submitted by a sub-committee of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, was largely criticised by anti-GMO activists, who claim data in favour of GM mustard is skewed. Though research suggests genetically modified mustard yields could be 30 percent higher than native species, activists say GM seeds were only compared to low-yield varieties.

டெல்லிப் பல்கலைக்கழகம் வெளியிட்டுள்ள ‘டி.எச்.எம். 11’ என்ற ரகத்தோடு மூன்று மரபணு மாற்று கடுகு ரகங்களை மத்திய சுற்றுச்சூழல் மற்றும் வனத்துறை அமைச்சகத்தின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் உள்ள ‘மரபணு மாற்றுப் பயிர்களுக்கான அனுமதியளிக்கும் குழு’ ஒப்புதல் தெரிவித்துள்ளது. நாடெங்கிலும் பல்வேறு எதிர்ப்புகள் கிளம்பியும் அனுமதி வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

 

மரபணு மாற்றம் செய்யப்பட்ட கடுகு ரகம், இயல்பிலேயே பல சிக்கல்கள், பாதகங்களை தனக்குள் கொண்டுள்ள போதிலும் அவை, திட்டமிட்டே மறைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. இவற்றை அனுமதித்தால், இந்தியக் கூட்டாட்சித் தத்துவத்துக்கும் மாநில உரிமைகளுக்கும் சவாலாக இருக்கும். இதே வகையான கடுகை ஏற்கெனவே 'பேயர்' (Bayer) என்ற பன்னாட்டு நிறுவனம் உருவாக்க அனுமதி கேட்டபோது மறுக்கப்பட்டது.

PTI | New Delhi, It argued Indian farmers have proved high yields can be obtained through sustainable agronomic processes and termed as false the claims of higher yield through the GM mustard.

 

JD(U) today said the Centre’s move of collecting public feedback on the risk assessment report on GM mustards by an expert committee “reeks of non-serious intent” and demanded that the hybrid variety should not be approved for commercial release.

 

It argued Indian farmers have proved high yields can be obtained through sustainable agronomic processes and termed as alse the claims of higher yield through the GM mustard. “The three GMOs (genetically modified crops), according to its developers, will have higher yields, but they have been silent about the fact that the GM mustard has been engineered to be herbicide tolerant,” the party said in a letter to Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave.

New Delhi: JD(U) workers stage a demonstration against genetically-modified (GM) mustard in New Delhi, on Sept 6, 2016. An Environment Ministry sub-committee report declared the GM mustard technology safe for consumption and environment, saying that it does not raise any public health concerns for human beings and animals, but environmentalists are not satisfied and have been demanding that the ministry should make all the documents on the study available.The environment ministry has asked for comments from the public, before Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) takes the final decision on GM mustard. Comments can be submitted till October 5.

Jayashree Nandi | TNN | NEW DELHI: A day after the environment ministry released a "Safety assessment report of the sub-committee on GM mustard" which concluded that the transgenic crop has cleared all safety tests and is safe for human consumption, a Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) member and noted molecular biologist, Pushpa M Bhargava said the report wasn't shared or discussed with GEAC members before MoEF released it on their website.

 

"I am a member of GEAC and the norm is to first discuss the findings with GEAC members. That was not done. The GEAC appointed the sub-committee to draft the report so the report should have come to us first. Also, this is not the biosafety study, it is only an assessment of the main study. This information is scanty. I think the ministry is superseding the system," he told TOI. GEAC is the apex body on GM crops.

Bhavdeep Kang, NOW, we have “science” touting GM (genetically modified) foods as safe. A “scientific consensus” has emerged across the world that GM foods are “generally safe” to eat. Several studies have found that GM foods may in fact hurt human health, but they are dismissed out of hand. Studies alleging the safety of GM get far more purchase than those that raise the red flag.

 

After all, approval of GM foods will yield enormous profits for seed companies which have developed GM seeds.

Many reasons to say No to Delhi University’s GM Mustard. Do you remember how, in 2010, citizens collectively ensured that Bt brinjal, (a genetically modified (GM) food crop)
was stopped from entering our plates and farms? The Government of India placed an indefinite moratorium on the

Activists alleged that the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee adopted a biased process to approve commercialization of genetically modified mustard.

 

New Delhi: Alleging that the environment ministry’s Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) adopted a biased process to approve commercialization of genetically modified (GM) mustard, a coalition of activists from across India has sought the immediate release of full data regarding trials of GM crops into the public domain.

तीस सालपहले तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री राजीव गांधी ने एक कार्यक्रम की नींव रखी थी, जिसे बाद में पीली क्रांति कहा गया। 1986 में उन्होंने जो ऑयल सीड्स टेक्नोलॉजी मिशन शुरू किया था उसने भारत को खाद्य तेल के मामले में बड़े आयातक से 1993-94 तक यानी दस से भी कम वर्षों में लगभग आत्म-निर्भर बना दिया था। बेशक, यह उल्लेखनीय उपलब्धि थी। उसके बाद पतन शुरू हुआ। भारत बड़ी खुशी से विश्व व्यापार संगठन के आगे झुक गया और अपनी पीली क्रांति को खत्म कर दिया। यह इस तथ्य का क्लासिक उदाहरण है कि उम्मीदें जगाने वाला घरेलू खाद्य तेल का क्षेत्र आर्थिक उदारीकरण की बलिवेदी पर किस तरह चढ़ाया गया। आयात शुल्कों में व्यापक कटौती से सस्ते आयात की बाढ़ गई, जिससे किसान तिलहनों की खेती छोड़ने पर मजबूर हो गए। 300 प्रतिशत के बाध्यकारी स्तर से आयात शुल्क चरणबद्ध तरीके से घटाकर लगभग शून्य कर दिया गया। किसानों के बाहर होते ही प्रोसेसिंग उद्योग को भी अपना काम बंद करना पड़ा। आज भारत अपनी आवश्यकता का 67 फीसदी से भी अधिक खाद्य तेल का आयात करता है, जिस पर 66,000 करोड़ रुपए की जबर्दस्त लागत आती है।