On May 11, last year, the GEAC, [India’s] apex authority for assessing the safety of genetically modified (GM) crops, declared that GM mustard had passed the prescribed tests and recommended to the environment minister that he should approve it. Five months later, on October 10, 2017, the environment secretary noted that minister Harsh Vardhan wanted the case referred back to the GEAC in light of petitions and representations he had received. Science & technology minister Harsh Vardhan was given the additional charge of the environment portfolio on May 23, following the death of minister of state Anil Madhav Dave five days before. In September, he was made the cabinet minister for environment as well. The GEAC had met eight times on GM mustard since an application for environmental or commercial release was made in September 2015 by a team of scientists of the Delhi University, led by its former vice-chancellor, Deepak Pental. A sub-committee of the GEAC had studied the 3,285-page bio-safety dossier they had furnished.
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But the minister listened to the naysayers.
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The chances of GM mustard getting into farmers’ fields seem bleak. The GEAC has not met since last May.
Read full, original post: Why GM mustard may not see the light of day
