ICAR Moots Two Arms For Transgenics Regulator

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New Delhi, March 14: The apex research body in the farm sector in the country, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has suggested that the regulatory body for transgenic products should have two separate divisions, one for agricultural applications and the other for pharmaceutical and other applications. There should be a separate gene bank for transgenic constructs.

Though one of its affiliate body, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has developed two Bt transgenic rice namely IR-64 and Pusa Basmati-1 and has conducted bioassay for yellow stem borer resistance, the ICAR has clearly said “the geographical indications such as Basmati rice should be kept intact and untouched by transgenics.” The exporters and growers of Basmati rice are also against growing transgenic Basmati rice as this would spoil the export market for this premium commodity.

The ICAR has also echoed the industry’s demand that “once a transgene is tested for biosafety, its derivatives should not be evaluated. There is a need for reduction in levels and number of steps required for biosafety evaluation and release of GMOs. After environmental release, the crop variety should be notified and registered under the Seeds Act so as to make possible for applications of the provisions of the Act for monitoring and checking spurious seeds plorification.”

The ICAR arrived at these conclusions after a national conference on ‘Transgenics in Agriculture’ held last week. The ICAR recommendations assume importance in view of the impending report of the MS Swaminathan panel which is deliberating on the role of the regulatory authority for transgenic crops in the country.

The Union minister of state for agriculture, Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav inaugurating the conference, however, said that the scientists while developing transgenic crops should ensure that their efforts are not directed towards changing the basic inherent quality of the crops endoweed by nature. He also said that the scientists need to study to what extent the transgenic technology will be helpful in ensuring food and nutritional security as against the conventional technology.