A newly-constituted expert group will review the moratorium on release of genetically modified or Bt brinjal on Wednesday.

The Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Mr Jairam Ramesh, set up an expert group of 18 persons soon after announcing a moratorium on the commercial release of Bt brinjal in January 2010. Renowned agricultural scientist Dr M.S. Swaminathan and Dr Raghavendra Gadagkar of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, expressed their inability to be part of the group.

The group includes Prof Madav Gadgil of Bangalore-based Centre for Ecological Sciences and Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research Director, Dr Keshav R Kranthi.

While announcing a moratorium, Mr Jairam Ramesh also asked the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee to stipulate more safeguards to remove fears over Bt brinjal among the public.

Bt brinjal has been derived by injecting a crystal gene Cry1Ac from the soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis. This is supposed to make the brinjal plant resistant to the fruit and shoot borer that is the major cause of damage to the crop.

Though field tests were held and Bt brinjal was approved for commercial cultivation in 2009, a hue and cry was raised over the safety of the transgenic plant. This led to Mr Jairam Ramesh holding public hearings.

Though Bt cotton has been in wide use for nearly 10 years now, Bt brinjal is the first food crop to be considered for commercial cultivation. Meanwhile, the Coalition for a GM-free India has criticised the review meet. In a statement, it said the expert group should look at the very need for Bt brinjal since there were many alternatives to chemical pesticides without resorting to genetically modified crops.

Data on toxicity and bio-safety assessment was inadequate, it said and added that the expert panel should reject the bio-safety dossier on Bt brinjal totally.

Related Topics