Syllabus: GS-III
Subject: Environment, Agriculture and Science and Technology.
Topic: Introduction of GM crops
Context: Centre stressed the benefits of GM Mustard in Supreme Court against a PIL filed to stop commercial release of DMH-11.
Synopsis:
- Indigenous GM mustard meant to make edible oil cheaper, reduce imports and ensures increased yield per hectare of 25% to 30%
- The govt argued that it has the duty to protect fundamental right of people to access basic food consumed every day at a cheaper price.
Background: DMH-11:
- DMH-11 is a hybrid variant of mustard developed by cross between two varieties: Varuna and Early Heera-2.
- Barnase and Barstar are two genes from two soil bacterium introduced to enable the crossing (naturally not possible)
- Hence it is a transgenic crop.
Benefits:
- DMH-11 has 28% higher yields.
- Reduction in imports. Currently, 54% of the total edible oil demand is met through imports.
- GM mustard plants may dissuade bees from pollinating the plant and this could have knock-off environmental catastrophes.
- GM mustard hasn’t been evaluated as a herbicide tolerant crop, though it is tolerant to a herbicide called glufosinate-ammonium, posing potential risks.
Regulation:
- The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under Ministry of Environment is India’s apex regulator of genetically modified plants and food products.
- The final decision on commercial release is taken by MoEFCC.
- Though GEAC has cleared the environmental release of GM mustard, the process stalled after a case was lodged in the Supreme Court.
Other GM crops allowed for cultivation in India:
- BT cotton remains the only GM crop allowed to be cultivated in India.
- Bt Brinjal, the first transgenic food crop, was cleared by the GEAC in 2009 but was put on hold by the then-UPA government.
