SC to hear plea for moratorium on GM crop today

A “review of six years of Bt cotton experience” is sought on the opinion of Dr P M Bhargava, the noted microbiological expert. He says “it is necessary that review must take place during a full moratorium on all GM crops, including Bt cotton” — a view that will be placed before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan.

Highlighting several lacunas in the present bio-testing system, Aruna Rodrigues, who had earlier filed a PIL, has now moved an application urging the court to issue directions to the Union Government for imposing a ban on import of any GM product.

She has pointed to the extensive communication between Dr P M Bhargava, an international expert in molecular biology, and Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). GEAC is the sole authority to approve the release of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) under the 1989 Rules.

The applicant claims what transpired in the meetings, as also known through the communication between the GEAC and Dr Bhargava, is “a very alarming picture of the manner in which clearances have been given for environmental release of GMOs”.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, counsel for Rodrigues, says a vast majority of bio-safety tests, which are required before such crops are allowed for safe release into the environment, are not being conducted. Whatever tests are being done are being carried out by the applicant company, “which has a clear commercial interest”.

The application has also underlined the need for having an independent testing laboratory with adequate technical capacity.