Par panel to examine environmental impacts of GM crops

Amid growing chorus from peasant organisations for not allowing commercial cultivation of GM mustard, a parliamentary panel has decided to look into the contentious issue of environmental impacts of genetically modified crops.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests has selected the subject of GM crops and their environmental impacts for examination, according to a Lok Sabha bulletin.
The country's biotech regulator Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has recently sought public comments on the safety aspects on GM mustard variety developed by Delhi University's Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants.
Following which, the Environment Ministry has received over 700 comments from various stakeholders, including farmers and researchers, on the assessment of food and environmental safety (AFES) report on environmental release of genetically engineered mustard.

Various farmers organisations, including that affiliated to RSS, and environmental activists have been opposing commercial cultivation of GM mustard.
With anti-GM activists opposing the approval for GM mustard and upping their ante against the "unscientific" appraisal process, the Environment Ministry had said that after evaluating all the comments, a sub-committee will submit its final report to the biotech regulator GEAC.
Recently, about 150 organisations from across India, including 29 national-level organisations, converged at Jantar Mantar protesting against genetically modified mustard and threatened to launch a nationwide agitation if the hybrid is approved for commercial release.