Explained: What is GM mustard and what is the controversy surrounding it?

India’s regulatory body for genetically modified organisms has approved DMH -11, paving the way for its commercial release. This herbicide-tolerant mustard variety has been developed by crossing an Indian mustard variety ‘Varuna’ with an East European ‘Early Heera-2’ mutant The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee recommended the “environmental release” of indigenously developed genetically modified mustard seeds on 18 October. GEAC– India’s regulator for genetically modified organisms under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change– approved the “environmental release of mustard hybrid DMH-11 for its seed production and testing as per existing ICAR guidelines and other extant rules/regulations before commercial release”. “Further, to generate scientific evidence in Indian agro-climatic situation and also as a precautionary mechanism, the field demonstration studies with respect to the effect of GE mustard on honey bees and other pollinators, as recommended in the 136th GEAC meeting, shall also be conducted post-environmental release, simultaneously by the applicant, within two years under the supervision of ICAR,” the regulator’s minutes of the meeting held on 18 October said, as per PTI. “The data from Rapeseed Mustard Research, Bharatpur clearly shows that the claim of Professor Deepak Pantel that his GM mustard would increase yield by 26 per cent is deceptive and misleading as there are several existing hybrid varieties that outperform the transgenic variety DMH-11,” the Swadeshi Jagran Manch co-convenor claimed.