Govt planning autonomous body to regulate GM crop development

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New Delhi, Jun 1: The government is planning to set up a new autonomous body to regulate the development and release of genetically modified (GM) crops, livestock and fishes, and food, as well as recombinant pharma and industrial products. The department of biotechnology (DBT) has already drafted the National Biotechnology Regulatory Bill-2008 for setting up of the proposed National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority (NBRA).

Though the proposed NBRA would be autonomous, it would attached to DBT in the same lines as the autonomous Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) is attached to the Union health ministry.

Though the FSSA is empowered by law to regulate GM foods, the DBT proposal said, "from an operational standpoint, there are opportunities to coordinate the safety assessment of GM foods between FSSA and the NBRA." It suggested that the risk assessment unit of NBRA can undertake risk assessment on behalf of FSSA and submit its report to its chairperson for approval. Alternatively, GM food safety assessment can remain exclusively under FSSA and the regulation of GM foods be vested with NBRA.