The Indian political elite need to accept Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in crops, according to Nina V Federoff, Molecular Biologist & Emeritus Professor of Biology, Pennsylvania State University.

Speaking to newspersons after delivering the keynote address at an agri-biotech symposium, which was organised jointly by the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations, University of Hyderabad (UoH) and Dhaanya Seeds here on Tuesday, she said the scientific community had already accepted Genetically Modified Organism- crops as food sources.

Policy makers need to take note this and accept, she added.

Though an early player in GM crops, India has now lagged behind as it stopped the acceptance and adoption of them in the middle of progress, Federoff said.

In addition, P Reddenna, Professor of Biology, UoH said as of today, there was no scientific evidence to show that the GM crops had side-effects.

There was a need to educate commoners in this regard, he added.

Bt Cotton is the only commercialised GM crop in the country.

No government has approved cultivation of any other crop using GM technology.

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