After almost a year, the country’s biotech regulator is set to meet on Friday to consider approval for the commercial release as well as field trials of genetically-modified (GM) crops.
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), which was reconstituted on March 11 after its term ended on June 8 last year, will meet on Friday for the first time since its last meeting, to screen applications held on April 11.
The GEAC is expected to discuss extending the tenure of the Standing Committee to review applications for the commercial release of Bt cotton hybrids that were approved earlier.
Besides, it is also expected to discuss the status on availing no-objection certificates from the State Governments for conducting field trials of GM crops.
The 22 proposals to be taken up at the meeting include Monsanto India’s request for undertaking the first stage large-scale field trials or the BRL1 (biosafety research level 1 trials) for transgenic maize in the additional location of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Ltd (Mahyco) has requested additional location for conduct of event selection trials on 12 nitrogen use efficient cotton.
The Hyderabad-based Directorate of Oilseeds Research is seeking permission to repeat event selection trial on castor during the Kharif 2013.
The Central Institute of Cotton Research, Nagpur, is seeking extension of validity to event selection trials on transgenic cotton for bollworm resistance.
Mahyco is seeking the extension of validity for conducting trials on Glyphosate tolerant Roundup Ready wheat and salt tolerant transgenic rice.
BASF India is seeking extension of validity period for elite event selection trials for transgenic rice lines. Bayer BioScience Pvt Ltd is seeking extension of permission for BRL-1 trials of its TwinLink and GlyTol Cotton.
The reconstituted 16-member GEAC team is chaired by Hem Pande, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests.
The three independent outside experts include C.R. Babu of Delhi University’s Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems; B. Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition and S.S. Banga, Professor at Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Punjab Agriculture University.