Meanwhile, Dr Suman Sahai, convenor of the Gene Campaign, who deposed before the panel, alleged that “though the House panel included some major suggestions, it missed some vital points”. He said that disclosure of parentage should be made mandatory for companies when they register their seed varieties as this would prevent bio-piracy. He also sought a registration period for seeds on the lines of PVP&FR Act without scope for automatic extension.

Dr Vandana Shiva of Navdanya who also appeared before the House panel said that the recommendations on genetically modified (GM) crops are not stringent enough. The panel opposed the proposed provisional registration of GM seeds and also self-certification of seeds by seed companies, saying it would facilitate backdoor entry of unapproved GM seeds.