SC gives Govt. time to decide on commercialization of GM Mustard

Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud granted the government one week to report back on the policy of Genetically Modified (GM) mustard crops. The government has informed the Supreme Court that the policy decision on the commercial release of the Genetically Modified (GM) mustard crop is yet to be finalized. Govt. stated that it is poring through various suggestions on and objections to the commercial roll out of GM crops. The court had extended the stay on the commercial release of GM mustard until further orders. It had asked the Centre to collect public opinion before the release. The government had assured the court that there would be no commercial release of GM seeds till the views of the public were collected and placed before the appraisal committee. Many activists like Aruna Rodrigues have stood against the commercialization of GM crops without proper trials. Rodrigues had filed a plea seeking a stay on the commercial release of GM mustard crop and prohibition of its open field trials. The GEAC had earlier in 2010 cleared the issues over Bt Brinjal but the decision was not accepted by then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. Currently, only Bt Cotton – a non-food GM crop – is commercially cultivated in the country.