more-inThe Centre has demanded more tests for genetically modified mustard, a year after clearing the crop for “commercial cultivation.”The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, the apex regulator of genetically modified crops, in a March meeting said that in light of several representations both “for and against” the release of GM mustard, there was need for more tests. “What about the fact that GM mustard has never been tested as a herbicide tolerant crop, for its environmental and health ramifications…a point that has remained unaddressed by the regulators,” the Coaltion for a GM-Free India queried in a statement. The clearance for GM mustard had been mired in confusion. On May 12, last year the then GEAC chairperson, Amita Prasad, said that the crop had been recommended for cultivation. Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH -11), the transgenic mustard in question, had been developed by a team of scientists at Delhi University led by former vice-chancellor Deepak Pental under a government-funded project.

Source: The Hindu May 14, 2018 17:03 UTC