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Bt eggplants (brinjal) in India

 

Since 1999 GENET collects and distributes information on various topics in the field of genetic engineering in agriculture, food production and health. With this "Special Topic: Bt Brinjal in India" GENET aims at providing an overview about the debate on development and approval of Bt brinjal in this country, based on our archives.

2008-12-12 |

Genetically modified food, a hot potato for the Indian Government

After imposing a ban on smoking in public, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss is working towards banning genetically modified (GM) seeds. [...] ”As the Union Health Minister, I will continue opposing it. BT Brinjal is being brought into the country without proper research on its safety. We should oppose it collectively,” Ramadoss says. [...] Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, however, is well known for his advocacy of GM food.

2008-10-28 |

Protests sprout ahead of new field trials of India’s first GM foodcrop

A vegetable is at the centre of a row in Orissa as it is likely to become the first genetically-modified (GM) foodcrop to be permitted for commercial production in the country. While anti-GM activists in the state and elsewhere are furious at the insufficient data on the safety aspects of the crop, Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) brinjal seeds are likely to be sown in Orissa sometime next month as part of the countrywide field trials of Varanasi-based Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR).

2008-10-17 |

Indian ’I am no lab rat’ campaign launched against GM food

HAMARA BEEJ Abhiyan, a movement to restore the right to seed of farmers, has launched a campaign against the introduction of Genetically Modified food. Formally titled ’I am no lab rat’, this campaign highlights the fact that human beings are being subjected to a mass experiment by way of GM food [...] The concern that this campaign points out is that genes of sexually incompatible species are being interchanged. Spider, scorpion, toxic bacteria and even human genes are being introduced into such commonly consumed food such as brinjal, cabbage, cowpeas, okra and even rice

2008-09-23 |

Bt brinjal and new Bt cotton to be available commercially in India in 2009

K C Bansal from Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) said that with successful field trials of Bt Cotton and Bt Brinjal, both these crops would be commercially available in the market from 2009. Commenting on the other crops that were in pipeline, Bansal said that trials were being conducted on crops like okra, cabbage, cauliflower, chickpea and rice and in coming future these crops would also be available in genetically modified varieties. While the Bt cotton (variety) Bikaneri Narma would be marketed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Bt Brinjal would be marketed by Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company).

2008-09-10 |

Bt brinjal to go commercial next year in India

After an overwhelming success of Bacillus thurengiensis (Bt) cotton, Bt brinjal is all set to go commercial from the next sowing season, with the completion of its trial runs. After the launch, Bt brinjal will become the first edible product in the country to be grown using genetically modified (GM) seeds. According to R K Sinha, executive director, All India Crop Biotechnology Association, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has been sowing GM seeds of Bt brinjal for the last four to five years and has found no harm in commercialising it with adequate approval from the authorities concerned.

2008-09-10 |

Indian Ministry panel reveals data on GM brinjal

Data on clinical trials of genetically-modified (GM) brinjal have been made public by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of the environment ministry. The development comes even as Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) had filed a petition before the Delhi High Court to prevent disclosure of the details of clinical trials on GM brinjal by the Review Committee on Genetic Modification of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

2008-08-28 |

Biosafety data of transgenic brinjal made public in India

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has published information on biosafety studies of Bt brinjal, developed by MAHYCO, on its official website. The data in eight volumes, runs into more than 1,100 pages. Sources in the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) confirmed that it was the complete data sent by the company which was analysed by the department and forwarded to the GEAC. Greenpeace, which has been demanding that the data be made public and is involved in a long Right to Information (RTI) battle, says the data looks comprehensive, but there is neither an official notification nor an assurance of its completeness from the authorities.

2008-07-21 |

Indian scientist warns on US-Indian agriculture pact

Dr Placid Rodriguez, former president of Indian Nuclear Society and ex Director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, said the deal comes under the whole gamut of strategic alliance covering defence, space, nuclear and agriculture. [...] ”Our agricultural universities, state universities, ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) laboratories -- they will be completely overwhelmed by giants like Monsanto whose resources are plenty and whose motivation is only monopoly,” he said. After Bt. cotton, now genetically modified brinjal is going to be brought in, Rodriguez said, adding, ”we don’t know what’s next”.

2008-07-16 |

Indian scientists warns on US-Indian agriculture pact

Dr Placid Rodriguez, former president of Indian Nuclear Society and ex Director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, said the deal comes under the whole gamut of strategic alliance covering defence, space, nuclear and agriculture. [...] ”Our agricultural universities, state universities, ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) laboratories -- they will be completely overwhelmed by giants like Monsanto whose resources are plenty and whose motivation is only monopoly,” he said. After Bt. cotton, now genetically modified brinjal is going to be brought in, Rodriguez said, adding, ”we don’t know what’s next”.

2008-07-04 |

GM field trials in India: leaving no room for risk assessment

The data on heat stability studies carried out on Bt protein in brinjal serve to highlight the serious lapses in the way the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) examines the biosafety data of genetically modified plants, leading to overlooking of key facts. Heat stability study is conducted to show how the Bt protein gets destroyed when it is cooked. This study is done to demonstrate the safety of genetically modified (GM) food. The summary of the study by the company states that Bt protein found before cooking is absent once it is cooked, in the case of Bt brinjal. Oops, the slip shows — Bt protein is reported to be present even in non-GM brinjal before cooking!

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