Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh has asked the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee to immediately withdraw its permission to Monsanto for field trials of Bt maize in Bihar. Bt brinjal was the first, and maize is the second food crop for which the GEAC has given permission for field trials in India. Mr. Ramesh’s intervention came after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told him personally that he was ”opposed” to field trials of Bt maize — a food crop — in Bihar as he was not aware of the risks involved and wanted the GEAC to withdraw its permission.