India: SC hearing on GM crops ban this week

The biotech industry has appealed to the Supreme Court to vacate its ban order on fresh approval of genetically modified (GM) crops. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan is slated to hear the industry’s petition on May 8.

The apex court, in the course of its hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Aruna Rodrigues, PV Satheesh and others on September 22, 2006, had directed the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) not to clear any GM crop for fresh field trials. Earlier on May 1, 2006, it had also said the GEAC and not the Review Committee for Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) under the department of biotechnology should be responsible for field trials and approval of GM crops.

Prashant Bhushan, who is the advocate for the petitioner, Aruna Rodgrigues, said, “The government has not yet disclosed the locations of trials relating to 91 applicants. It has not also complied with the court’s order of February, 2007 which called for bio-safety reports of field trials. The department of bio-technology has not given us toxicity data on transgenic rice, okra, brinjal and mustard, despite the verdict of the Central Information Commission