'Environmental Harm Can't Be Reversed' : Supreme Court Defers Centre's Plea For Release Of Genetically Modified Mustard Seeds
1 year, 4 months ago

'Environmental Harm Can't Be Reversed' : Supreme Court Defers Centre's Plea For Release Of Genetically Modified Mustard Seeds

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the consideration of the Centre's plea for the withdrawal of an oral undertaking made to the court in November last year pledging to maintain the status quo on the release of genetically modified mustard. “It will not be commercially released without this court first hearing the matter,” ASG Bhati clarified, “This is only environmental release which is the final phase after 12 years of research.” At this juncture, Advocate Prashant Bhushan interjected to raise biosafety concerns over an environmental release of GM mustard leading to contamination of non-genetically modified crops – “Environmental release means release into the environment. The environmental release of the genetically modified mustard was the next logical step,” the attorney-general told the bench. In support of the contention that the decision to release genetically modified mustard was preceded by thorough consideration of various aspects involved, the top law officer, in a subsequent hearing, took the court through a dossier of the minutes of meetings of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, reports of various committees and sub-committees, and other relevant documents to illustrate the stages in which the approval for the environmental release of the genetically modified mustard was granted.

India Justice Environmental Court Seeds Hearing Centre Release Bench This Court Mustard Nagarathna Justice Nagarathna Mustard Seeds Maheshwari Genetically Modified This Matter Genetically Modified Mustard Gm Mustard Environmental Release Justice Maheshwari Undertaking Gene Campaign Field Trials  harm  supreme  modified  genetically  environmental  plea  reversed  release  court  mustard  hearing  undertaking  bench  seeds  justice

History of this topic

GM Mustard Case | Justice Nagarathna Flays Failure To Make Biosafety Dossier Public, Says Right To Environmental Information Affected
5 months, 2 weeks ago

GM Mustard Case | Justice Nagarathna Flays Failure To Make Biosafety Dossier Public, Says Right To Environmental Information Affected

Live Law  

Recently, Justice BV Nagarathna has upheld the right to a safe and healthy environment as a part of Article 21 by reiterating its existing jurisprudence, including in Virender Gaur vs State of Haryana, where the right to life was expanded to include the hygienic environment as an integral facet of the right to a healthy life and which puts a …

Supreme Court delivers split verdict on nod for GM mustard
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Supreme Court delivers split verdict on nod for GM mustard

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on July 23 pronounced a split verdict on the validity of the Centre’s 2022 decision granting conditional approval for environmental release of genetically modified mustard crops. The Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol however asked the Centre to formulate a national policy with regard to GM crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce in the …

Supreme Court Delivers Split Verdict On Challenge To Approval For Genetically Modified Mustard Cultivation
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Supreme Court Delivers Split Verdict On Challenge To Approval For Genetically Modified Mustard Cultivation

Live Law  

In a crucial development, the Supreme Court today delivered a split verdict on petitions challenging the approval given by the Union Government to release genetically modified mustard. Justice Nagarathna, in her judgment, held that the approval given by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee on 18.10.2022 and the subsequent decision dated 25.10.2022 regarding the environmental release of transgenetic mustard are "vitiated" …

Supreme Court Begins Hearing Pleas To Ban Cultivation Of GM Mustard
1 year ago

Supreme Court Begins Hearing Pleas To Ban Cultivation Of GM Mustard

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing afresh a batch of petitions challenging the central government's decision to commercially cultivate genetically modified mustard. Yesterday, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol began hearing the clutch of petitions seeking a ban on the commercial cultivation of indigenously developed genetically modified mustard, christened 'HT Mustard DMH-11', which in October 2022, …

‘Cannot reverse harm to environment’: SC defers hearing on GM mustard
1 year, 4 months ago

‘Cannot reverse harm to environment’: SC defers hearing on GM mustard

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concerns over the release of genetically modified mustard, saying any harm to the environment cannot be reversed. With the second sowing season for GM mustard round the corner, the top court refused permission to the Centre to proceed with the sowing of the seeds and posted the matter for hearing on September …

GM Mustard | Will Insert Additional Safeguards If Existing Conditions Are Found Insufficient: Supreme Court
1 year, 11 months ago

GM Mustard | Will Insert Additional Safeguards If Existing Conditions Are Found Insufficient: Supreme Court

Live Law  

Additional conditions will be added to the regulatory framework governing the environmental release of genetically modified crops if the existing conditions fail to broadly account for all shortcomings or dangers associated with the exercise, the Supreme Court orally said on Tuesday. A Bench comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and B.V. Nagarathna was hearing a batch of petitions seeking a ban on …

Regulations not violated during GM mustard approval: Centre
2 years ago

Regulations not violated during GM mustard approval: Centre

The Hindu  

The Union Environment Ministry on Saturday rebutted the claims made by activists that statutory regulations were violated during the appraisal and approval of GM mustard in India, saying the product was conditionally cleared only after stakeholder consultation. Responding to the coalition's allegation that the Directorate of Rapeseed Mustard Research had received the seeds on October 22 last year before the …

Activists allege regulatory lapses in approving GM mustard
2 years ago

Activists allege regulatory lapses in approving GM mustard

The Hindu  

The Coalition for a GM-Free India, a platform that’s fighting a case in the Supreme Court against the trials of genetically modified mustard, released a report in New Delhi on Friday to showcase at least 15 instances of alleged regulatory lapses in the appraisal and approval of Delhi University’s GM “Herbicide Tolerant or HT” mustard. The platform alleged that the …

India says GM technology important for food security, import reduction
2 years, 1 month ago

India says GM technology important for food security, import reduction

Live Mint  

India said on Thursday it was important for it to adopt farming technologies like genetically modified crops to ensure food security and cut a reliance on imports, as it tries to boost the output of edible oils for its huge population. The environment ministry in October granted environmental clearance for indigenously developed GM mustard seeds, potentially paving the way for …

Is there a compelling reason to release GM mustard, SC asks govt.
2 years, 1 month ago

Is there a compelling reason to release GM mustard, SC asks govt.

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on December 1, 2022 asked the government whether there is a "compelling reason" for it to press forward with the release of GM mustard, asking if the Indian agriculture will be "doomed" if not for GM crops. "Is there a compelling reason to release this hybrid DMH-11 now… Can you not take into account bringing more safeguards, …

"Is There A Compelling Reason To Release GM Mustard Now?": Supreme Court Asks Centre Reasons For Deviating From Expert Committee's Opinion
2 years, 1 month ago

"Is There A Compelling Reason To Release GM Mustard Now?": Supreme Court Asks Centre Reasons For Deviating From Expert Committee's Opinion

Live Law  

Is there a compelling reason for the environmental release of the genetically modified herbicide-tolerant mustard crop at this stage, and will such release have an irreversible adverse effect on the environment, the Supreme Court of India asked the Centre on Wednesday. A Division Bench comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and B.V. Nagarathna was hearing a batch of petitions seeking a ban …

'Genetically Modified Mustard Will Lead To Irreversible Contamination' : Activists Urge Supreme Court To Apply Precautionary Principle
2 years, 1 month ago

'Genetically Modified Mustard Will Lead To Irreversible Contamination' : Activists Urge Supreme Court To Apply Precautionary Principle

Live Law  

As the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is moving ahead with its plan of releasing a genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crop, christened "HT Mustard DMH-11", activists opposing this on Wednesday implored the Supreme Court of India to intervene urgently. Appearing for one of the petitioners, Advocate Prashant Bhushan argued, "On one hand, we have the spectre of irreversible …

Section of experts, farmers not in favour of genetically modified mustard
2 years, 1 month ago

Section of experts, farmers not in favour of genetically modified mustard

Hindustan Times  

Even as the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee of the Union environment ministry has cleared the proposal for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified mustard, a section of experts and farmers say that the GM mustard is not a solution to deal with the issue of poor yield. They said the higher yield claims made on GM mustard variety DMH-11, which …

Grant Of Environmental Clearance To Genetically Modified Mustard Seeds Beyond Judicial Review : Centre Tells Supreme Court
2 years, 2 months ago

Grant Of Environmental Clearance To Genetically Modified Mustard Seeds Beyond Judicial Review : Centre Tells Supreme Court

Live Law  

The Supreme Court is not competent to inquire into the grant of environmental clearance for indigenously developed genetically modified mustard seeds beyond the limited questions of whether an adequate regulatory mechanism governing this field exists and if the government has materially complied with such mechanism, submitted the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in an affidavit. Last month, the …

Supreme Court Asks Centre To Maintain Status Quo On Release Of Genetically Modified Mustard Seeds
2 years, 2 months ago

Supreme Court Asks Centre To Maintain Status Quo On Release Of Genetically Modified Mustard Seeds

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on Thursday orally asked the Union Government to maintain status quo on the commercial cultivation of Genetically Modified Mustard and to refrain from taking any precipitate action on its release. The order imposed a status quo on the decision of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, which cleared the proposal for commercial cultivation of Genetically Modified Mustard. Advocate Prashant …

Explained: What is GM mustard and what is the controversy surrounding it?
2 years, 2 months ago

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

Firstpost  

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 …

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee approves commercial cultivation of genetically modified mustard yet again
2 years, 2 months ago

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee approves commercial cultivation of genetically modified mustard yet again

The Hindu  

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee that functions under the Union Environment Ministry has yet again cleared the proposal for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified mustard. “The environmental release of mustard hybrid Dhara Mustard Hybrid for its seed production and testing as per existing ICAR guidelines and other extant rules/regulations prior to commercial release,” the minutes of the meeting said. …

Monsanto's Claim For GM Cotton Seeds Should Be Decided Based On Evidence; SC Sets Aside HC Order
6 years ago

Monsanto's Claim For GM Cotton Seeds Should Be Decided Based On Evidence; SC Sets Aside HC Order

Live Law  

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Rohinton Nariman and Navin Sinha on Tuesday ruled that US Company Monsanto can claim patents on its genetically modified cotton seeds.The Bench has set aside a decision of a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court by which Monsanto Technologies' patent in respect of its BT cotton seeds was held to be inapplicable in …

Supreme Court backs Monsanto on GM cotton patents
6 years ago

Supreme Court backs Monsanto on GM cotton patents

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Delhi High Court Division Bench decision that held that U.S. agro major Monsanto did not have patent for its genetically-modified BT cotton seed variants and allowed it to claim registration under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act of 2001. The Supreme Court Bench of Justices Rohinton F. Nariman and …

Discover Related