The Hindu : National : Decision on Bt brinjal not an indictment of genetic engineering as such: Jairam

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Decision on Bt brinjal not an indictment of genetic engineering as such: Jairam

Special Correspondent

“I have not decided on the future of Bt bhindi or tomato or rice”

India needs independent biotechnology regulator and a transparent testing system
I hope we don’t see a repeat of Bt cotton where spurious seeds found their way into the market

NEW DELHI: India needs an independent biotechnology regulator and a transparent testing system, according to Union Minister of State for Environment Jairam Ramesh, who declared a moratorium on Bt brinjal on Tuesday.

As a first step in the transparency process, he said the Genetic Engineering Approvals Committee (GEAC), which had recommended approval of Bt brinjal last October, would soon have a name change — with “Approvals” changed to “Appraisal.”

“It’s psychological…more than a name change, it’s a mindset change,” Mr. Ramesh told journalists here. “People should not think they are coming for automatic approvals. They take it for granted…They must remember that we have a right to reject it as well.”

Had it been approved, Bt brinjal would have been the world’s first genetically modified vegetable. While Indian farmers already produce Bt cotton, Mr. Ramesh said a food crop had to be handled with more caution. “Tests for food products must be made more stringent than tests for drugs…That has not been the case in Bt brinjal.”

If, despite the moratorium, genetically modified seeds were introduced into the market, the Minister said, it was up to the States to crack down on them. “I hope we don’t see a repeat of Bt cotton where spurious and illegal Bt cotton seeds found their way into the market,” he said.

Mr. Ramesh said his decision should not be read as an indictment of genetic engineering or discouraging research to develop crop improvement tools. “I have not decided on the future of Bt bhindi or tomato or rice. This is a rejection of this particular case for the time being…[Future proposals] have to be examined and decided case-by-case,” he said.

However, there was no question of a review of the moratorium until there was a scientific consensus, public confidence and agreement on the tests needed for health and safety. With several international experts criticising the GEAC’s testing norms, the Minister said that the committee “must become more transparent.”

“A National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority has been on the anvil for six years and will be set up during the moratorium period,” he said.

He defended the transparency of his own decision. “My conscience is clear. I have followed a democratic, transparent, often acrimonious process,” he said, adding that the reports on the public consultations as well as letters from the State governments, scientists and other stakeholders were all available on the Ministry’s website. “I had to balance science and society, producers and consumers, the Centre and States.”

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