Explained | Genetically modified crops and their regulation in India

October 31, 2022 01:22 pm | Updated November 01, 2022 07:08 pm IST The story so far: On October 18, the Environment Ministry’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee cleared the proposal for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified mustard. Acts and rules that regulate GM crops in India include: Environment Protection Act, 1986 Biological Diversity Act, 2002 Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 GM policy under Foreign Trade Policy Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 Drugs and Cosmetics Rule, 1988 Broadly, the rules cover: All activities related to research and development of GMOs Field and clinical trials of GMOs Deliberate or unintentional release of GMOs Import, export, and manufacture of GMOs What is GM mustard? The GEAC cleared “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 itsOctober 18 meeting said. Recommendations of the October 18 meeting The GEAC has recommended: Environmental release of “genetically engineered mustard parental lines bn 3.6 carrying barnase and bar genes, and modbs 2.99 containing barstar and bar genes” Environmental release of mustard hybrid DMH-11 for seed production and testing as per existing ICAR guidelines Conduct field demonstration studies with respect to the effect of GM mustard on honey bees and other pollinators post-environmental release The approval is limited to a period of four years, renewable for two years at a time based on a compliance report.