The mechanism to regulate genetic engineering in agriculture is “generally sound”, the Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Committee has said.

Strongly favouring GM crops, India’s top science advisory panel on Tuesday virtually questioned the moratorium on commercialisation of Bt brinjal and pitched for comprehensive reform of the biotechnology regulatory mechanism.

“The current regulatory system for recombinant products administered under Rules (1989) of Environment Protection Act, 1986, should be reformed till Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India is in place,” the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister (SAC-PM), chaired by eminent scientist C.N.R. Rao, said in a statement.

National Biodiversity Authority chairman Dr Balakrishna Pisupati said the abundant biodiversity of India exists to be shared with public and private scientific research organisations, both inland and abroad.

Speaking on the sidelines of the MoP-6, Dr Pisupati said, “While we agree that there has been unregulated use of our plants by multinationals that saw biopiracy cases filed against them, it will be foolish to restrict ethical access to the rich biodiversity of India by closing our doors to research. We have to keep aside the storms of sensational debate and look into the science of it.”

Pending ratification of the Nagoya Supplementary Protocol, non-government organisations (NGOs) are demanding that the Indian government enact a domestic legislation for liabilities and redress of living-modified organisms (LMOs).

The Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on liability and redress to the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety closed for signature in March 2012 with a total of 51 signatories, including India. The Supplementary Protocol dealt with the liability and redress on damage resulting from living modified organisms (LMOs).

New Delhi Scientists, farmer bodies and industry associations alike have slammed the parliamentary panel on agriculture for suggesting a probe into the go-ahead for commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal, India's first genetically-modified food crop. They have also criticised its recommendation for a ban on the field trials of such crops,terming the report as “unscientific and partisan”.

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) had approved commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in 2009, but the then environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, had put an indefinite moratorium on the decision following protests.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture has come down heavily against the use of genetically modified (GM) crops in the country.

A Parliamentary panel Thursday recommended a thorough probe into the controversy surrounding the approval given to Bt Brinjal and its subsequent withdrawal, saying it had found indications that the

‘Probe how Bt brinjal seed was allowed to be commercialised’

In a major setback to the proponents of genetically modified technology in farm crops, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture on Thursday asked the government to stop all field trials and sought a bar on GM food crops (such as Bt. brinjal). The committee report, tabled in the Lok Sabha, demanded a “thorough probe” into how permission was given to commercialise Bt. brinjal seed when all evaluation tests were not carried out.

The Coalition for a GM-Free India has called for immediate implementation of the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture to stop all field trials of genetically modified crops.

Welcoming the report of the committee and terming it a historic and well-grounded document, the coalition said that the government should withdraw the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill in view of the committee’s findings. It hoped that the governments in India, especially the Union government, would change their perspective on the subject at least now. “It is clear that the government’s views are uninformed and biased on the matter, and the blind promotion of the technology is unscientific to say the least,” said the coalition in a press release on Thursday.