What the global food scarcity has done is make clear the inevitability of genetically modified (GM) crops, however controversial they may be. Although food scarcity in past years was tackled in most countries, including India, through the use of conventionally bred, albeit gene-altered, high-yielding crops, that approach may not work in the changed circumstances, because up-scaling the genetic production potential of a crop through traditional plant breeding techniques is a drawn-out process, while the problems besetting agriculture call for quick solutions that only molecular breeding can deliver

Gujarat, which is set to harvest a record 90-100 lakh bales of cotton this season, could have increased its yield even further but for use of illegal cotton seeds on a vast tract under the cash crop. Gujarat has 57 lakh acres (nearly 25 lakh hectares) under cotton. In 2007, farmers cultivated genuine Bollgard Bt cotton seeds on 23.3 lakh acres, illegal cotton seeds on 15.8 lakh acres, and conventional (desi) seeds on 16.2 lakh acres. That is, 28 per cent of the area under cotton had been cultivated using illegal cotton seeds which remains ”one of the top deterrents to increasing cotton production,” according to Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Ltd, or MMB, a 50:50 joint venture between Mahyco and Monsanto Company, US.

Under the quality protein maize (QPM) programme, there are atleast 10 varieties of maize available in the country. Protein content in QPM is about 74% while it is only 37% in normal maize. Interestingly, protein quality of QPM is 90% of that of milk, they said. “These hybrid seeds have increased maize yields from 16 quintal per hectare to 24 quintal per hectare resulting bumper production of 18.51 million tonne in 2007-08. Hybrid maize can create a bigger revolution than bt cotton has done so far in the country,” director general, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) Mangala Rai told PTI.

Farmers today demanded a complete ban on genetically modified (GM) crops and food in India saying it would not only affect humans and livestocks, but also soil and environment. Protesting against GM crops in the national capital, farmers under the banner of ’Coalition for a GM-Free India’ voiced against government’s decision to allow field trials of bt brinjal in the country. Addressing the farmers, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said that GM crops are yet another attempt by corporates to take over Indian agriculture. He exhorted farmers to resist it forcefully.

Several members of Parliament will address a farmers’ rally here on Tuesday against sale and distribution of genetically modified crops and seeds in general and Bt brinjal in particular. Bt brinjal is the first GM food crop which will be approved for a second and final season trial before commercialisation. The ”Coalition for a GM-free India,” which will organise the rally, represents farmers’ unions, environmental organisations, organic farming groups and women’s organisations. It has one of the largest membership of practising ecological farmers.

Tests conducted at an independent laboratory on products picked up randomly from a supermarket in New Delhi has revealed that Pepsico’s Doritos Corn Chips contain genetically modified Mon 863 and NK 603 variety corn ingredients. [...] ”Though India has a law prohibiting the sale of any genetically modified food products with out the permission of Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, the presence of these products in the supermarket shelves proves that the regulatory system is in shambles. India seems to have become a dumping ground for genetically modified products that have been rejected due to their risk to health elsewhere,” said Rajesh Krishnan, Campaigner, Sustainable Agriculture, Greenpeace India.

India and Australia are likely to create a joint corpus to fund researches in transgenic crops in the public sector. Crops of common interest like cotton, wheat, chickpea and banana have been selected. [...] The fund would also be used to create consumer awareness about GM crops and food.

The team led by the head of the CICR crop protection division, KR Kranthi conducted a study on the population of the major pest, helicoverpa armigera collected from 10 cotton growing districts of north India, 26 districts of central India and 17 districts of south India in the period 2001-07. ”The data did not indicate high levels of resistance in the pest population that may be adequate for significant survival of the pest under field conditions. However, the data indicated that there was a clear decrease in the proportion of susceptible pest population,” said Kranthi.

The right to information case chronology Feb 2006 - Apr 2008 starting with: Biosafety data of Brinjal, ladies finger, mustard and rice is asked under the RTI act by Divya Raghunandan of Greenpeace.

The department of biotechnology (DBT) in collaboration with Hyderabad based centre for DNA fingerprinting and diagnostics (CDFD) has developed a diagnostic kit for rapid detection of genetically modified (GM) traces in food by going to the level of DNA. Earlier a diagnostic developed by the central institute for cotton research could detect by going only to the level of protein. ”If this new kit is used it can resolve the claims of genetic contamination of conventional crops by GM crops. We can also use this diagnostic kit for checking imported food which may contain traces GM matter,” said, DBT secretary, MK Bhan.