CIC orders govt to release biosafety data on GM crops

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the environment ministry to release biosafety data regarding all genetically modified (GM) crops in the pipeline before April 30.

The CIC, on April 1, instructed the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the apex regulatory body for GM crops to release the data arguing it constituted voluntary disclosure under Section 4 of the Right to Information Act.

This will involve the GEAC handing over the biosafety dossier of the GM mustard crop as had been submitted by the crop developer in 2014 and 2015.

The regulators and the ministry had declined RTI requests seeking a copy of the dossier. The applicant, Kavitha Kuruganti, co-convener of the Coalition for a GM-Free India argued that administrative precedents exist within the regulatory regime.

"The decision-making process should be told, along with information about whether such process is adopted, minutes of the meetings, results of clinical trial, and entire information about GM mustard etc.", the CIC said in its order.