Agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan has stressed the need for revising the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill, which will lapse along with the term of the present Lok Sabha, by incorporating bio-safety aspects and presenting a fresh Bill as soon as the new Lok Sabha begins its work.
Delivering his address at the convocation of the University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore here on Sunday, he said, “While it may take time to set up a Parliament-approved national biotechnology and bio-safety regulatory authority, guidelines for safe field-testing of Genetically Modified crops should be developed immediately. Enforcement of procedures for the release of GM crops for commercial cultivation through the proposed Act may take time, but the field testing under well-defined safeguards should go on.”
“We should place in position a trial and safety assessment system which answers the concerns of anti-GM experts and environmental organisations,” Mr. Swaminathan said.
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