September 07, 2016 07:15 AM

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.

September 07, 2016 05:02 AM

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

September 07, 2016 04:40 AM

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.

September 07, 2016 12:00 AM

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।

September 07, 2016 12:00 AM

ARITRA BHATTACHARYA | Mumbai, A report prepared by the technical subcommitee of the country's top biotechnology regular - Genetic Engineering Appraisal Commitee (GEAC) - Says genetically modified mustard is "safe for human and animal health" and does not threaten biodiversity.

The 133-page report titled "Assessment of Food and Environmental Safety (AFES)" made public on 5 September has triggered trenchant criticism by several activists, farm organisations, academics and civil society bodies experts.

September 07, 2016 12:00 AM

PNS | New Delhi, The country may be inching closer to approving the use of Genetically-Modified (GM) mustard crop, the first of its kind, after the Environment Ministry put up its report on public domain seeking comments from experts and stake holders.

While the technical sub-committee constituted by Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under Environment Ministry, ruled that its consumption was safe for human and animal health, anti- GM activists have demanded that the full bio safety data should be put out into the public domain at the earliest if this feedback process has to be a meaningful and scientific.

September 06, 2016 08:59 PM

NEW DELHI: Civil society groups Tuesday raised serious concerns over environment ministry subcommittee report giving go ahead to GM Mustard, saying the health and environment assessment report is not sufficient to reach at a conclusion as details of the study protocols or data generated has not been put in public domain for independent scientific scrutiny.

The Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) wrote a letter to Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave and ministry’s genetic approval committee head, saying the decision was taken in hurry after two meetings in 15 days' time, with the third meeting on August 11.

September 06, 2016 05:42 PM

Press Trust of India | New Delhi, Anti-GM activists today accused GEAC, the country's biotech regulator, of undertaking a "meaningless" process, after a risk assessment report of genetically modified mustard was put into public domain which claimed that it did not pose any risk to biodiversity or agro-ecosystem.

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) had constituted a sub-committee of scientific experts to examine the biosafety data on GM mustard. After the committee examined it, the report was placed on the Environment Ministry's website yesterday inviting comments from stakeholders within a period of 30 days before the biotech regulator took a decision.

September 06, 2016 02:08 PM

देश के सरसों की आखिरी चंद सांसें बाकी

ब्लॉग की शुरुआत में कपिल मिश्रा ने लिखा है कि 'देश के सरसों की आखिरी चंद सांसें बाकी हैं. GM बीज कृषि से लेकर किसान, स्वास्थ्य और पर्यावरण के लिए खतरा है. आखिर वही होने जा रहा है जिसका डर था. जिन खतरनाक GM बीजों के खिलाफ सारा भारत सड़कों पर उतर गया था, कांग्रेस सरकार के जयराम रमेश की जन सुनवाइयों में ये स्पष्ट हो गया था कि देश के किसान, देश के उपभोक्ता, दुनिया भर के वैज्ञानिक और खाद्य सुरक्षा तथा पर्यावरण को समझने वाले सभी लोग GM बीजों को असुरक्षित मानते है. अस्वीकार करते है.'

September 06, 2016 09:26 AM

The environment ministry’s decision to place the safety assessment report in public follows an order from the Central Information Commission last month.

New Delhi: Setting the stage for the approval of the contentious genetically modified (GM) mustard, the environment ministry on Monday placed in the public domain a safety assessment report prepared by a subcommittee under the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).

According to the report, GM mustard technology has been found to be “safe for food/feed and environment” following an assessment of detailed bio-safety data submitted by the technology developer, Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants, Delhi University.

September 06, 2016 04:38 AM

Vishwa Mohan & Dipak K Dash | TNN | NEW DELHI: A technical agency of the central government has ruled the consumption of genetically modified (GM) mustard "safe for human and animal health", adding that it "does not pose any threat" to biodiversity.

The environment ministry posted the report on its website on Monday, asking 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. The GEAC grants approval for GM products' release into the environment.

September 06, 2016 12:00 AM

NEW DELHI, Even as genetically-modified mustard came a step closer to becoming the first food crop in India to be approved for commercial production after a panel of scientists said it poses no risk to humans, civil society organisations have demanded that the Centre put up the full bio-safety data — and not just the assessment report — on the crop in the public domain to make the feedback process meaningful and scientific.

The oilseed does not raise any public health or safety concerns on human beings and animals with respect to overall nutritional characteristics, the panel said in a document posted on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes website. It is highly unlikely to invade natural ecosystems and poses a negligible risk to biodiversity and agriculture productivity, it said. The oilseed has been developed by the University of Delhi since 2003.

September 04, 2016 12:00 AM

Kavitha, हरियाणा के 15 जिलों के प्रबुद्ध नागरिकों, कृषि वैज्ञानिकों, किसान संगठनों एवं उपभोक्ताओं ने हरियाणा के मुख्य मंत्री और कृषि मंत्री को भेजे ज्ञापन में उनसे अपील की है कि वे यह सुनिश्चित करें की किसानों और उपभोक्ताओं पर जीएम सरसों न थोपी जाय। पिछले कुछ वर्षों से हरियाणा ने जीएम फसलों को परीक्षण हेतु भी राज्य में लगाने की अनुमति नहीं दी है परंतु अगर जीएम सरसों का बीज एक बार बाज़ार में आ जाता है तो हरियाणा सरकार की जीएम को बढ़ावा न देने की नीति प्रभावहीन हो जाएगी। उपभोक्ता के पास भी जीएम सरसों और गैर-जीएम सरसों के बीच चुनाव करने का कोई मौका नहीं रहेगा क्योंकि दोनों को अलग अलग रखना असंभव है। जैविक किसानों के लिए तो जीएम सरसों के अनुमोदन का अर्थ होगा जैविक किसानी की तत्काल निर्मम हत्या क्योंकि भारत सहित पूरी दुनिया में जैविक खेती में जीएम फ़सलों के प्रयोग पर कानूनन रोक है। परन्तु एक बार जीएम बीज पर्यावरण में फैलने के बाद जैविक किसानों का इस से बच पाना नामुमकिन है। जब पड़ोस में जीएम फ़सलों को बोया जा रहा हो तो कानूनी रूप से भी और वास्तव में भी जैविक खेती संभव नहीं है क्योंकि इन जीएम फ़सलों द्वारा अन्य क़िस्मों का सम्मिश्रण/प्रदूषण अवश्यंभावी है।

September 03, 2016 11:04 PM

Reuters | New Delhi, This is seen critical to Modi's goal of attaining self-sufficiency in edible oils as currently govt spends arounf $12 bn annually on vegetable oil imports

The government will soon make public its stance on allowing the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard — what could be its first transgenic food crop - and “ideology” will not influence the decision, a minister said.

September 02, 2016 12:00 AM

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party, which has ex­pressed its op­po­si­tion to ge­net­i­cally mod­i­fied (GM) crops, on Thurs­day said that it would make a coali­tion of like­minded states to build pres­sure on the Cen­tre to with­draw its sup­port to GM crops.

Since there is very lit­tle agri­cul­tural ac­tiv­ity in Delhi, AAP seems to have taken this stand on GM crops with fo­cus on Pun­jab, where it is con­test­ing elec­tions in 2017.