Bt cotton entry delayed in India
The entry of the next generation of Bt cotton in India has been delayed due to the recent demand for new inputs by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
- Some states have refused to issue No Objection Certificates (NOC) for biosafety research trials of Genetically Engineered (GE) cotton hybrids. These field trials are to be done in Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
- It is noteworthy that it has been made mandatory to obtain NOC from the State Governments for conducting field trials. Agriculture is a subject of the State List. Therefore, the involvement of states is necessary for compliance monitoring.
- GEAC is a statutory committee functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It has been constituted under the “Rules for the Manufacture, Use/Import/Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro-organisms or Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989” made under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- Its main task is to approve activities related to the widespread use of dangerous microorganisms and recombinants in industrial production.
- It conducts experimental field trials of any genetically engineered organism before it is released / released into the environment.
- Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton is a hybrid/variety of cotton. It contains genes named ‘crylAc’ and ‘crylAb’. These genes are isolated from the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), then coded for toxic proteins that kill bollworms.
- Bt cotton is the only GM (genetically modified) crop approved for commercial cultivation.
Source – Business Standard
