On August 8, thousands of farmers and activists from across 20 Indian states demonstrated in New Delhi against the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill, and demanded an end to GMOs in India. 53-year-old farmer Jaswant Sainhara, standing with his son, proudly held up a placard that read, “Monsanto, Quit India.”

Celebrating the 67th year of Independence, India is slowly losing her seed sovereignty, even as environmentalists and farmers’ organisations fight in vain. “Dependence on foreign seeds is as good as selling our land. The government is blind while framing new laws,” Rajesh Krishnan, co-convenor, Coalition for Genetically Modified (GM) Free India told Deccan Herald.

The government is following a policy of case by case approval of genetically modified (GM) crops,said Tariq Anwar, minister of state for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Close on the heels of transnational seed company Monsanto abandoning its programme for development of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe last month, there are growing calls for the company to do the same in India.

Following the final report of the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) appointed by the apex court in the country to deliberate on the safety of genetically modified (GM) crops, the Indian Government has called for “a healthy scientific debate” on this “contentious” topic that has generated “strong opinions on both sides.”

Four major committees of the Government of India, including the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, have called for a moratorium on testing Genetically Modified (GM) food. Now, we also have the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) report submitted to the Supreme Court which is strong in its recommendations. Both democracy and science support a ban on GMOs.

A Supreme Court technical expert committee Monday recommended an indefinite moratorium on the field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops till the government comes out with a proper regulatory and safety mechanism.

In view of the Union government's decision to promote genetically improved farmed tilapia ( GIFT), the state government has accorded sanction for rearing genetically improved tilapia fish at Ponnani on conditional basis.

The genetically modified (GM) crops were an important technological advancement which the country cannot overlook for long in view of its priorities and policies such as national food security, said Akhilesh Kumar Tyagi, Director, National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), an autonomous body aided by Department of Biotechnology under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

Farm scientists in Bangalore have developed a purple coloured genetically engineered tomato, which is rich in anti-oxidants and may protect people from a host of diseases including cancer and heart ailments.