SC okays DU field trials on GM mustard

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New Delhi, Oct 14: The Supreme Court has allowed Delhi University to conduct field trials of a genetically modified variety of mustard or rapeseed purely for research purposes.

The court in September had restrained the government's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) from granting any fresh approvals for field trials of genetically modified organisms until further orders.

A bench of the country's top court, headed by Chief Justice YK Sabharwal, passed the order on Friday permitting Delhi University to carry out trials of a specific variety of mustard for research in an area of 200 square metres.

“The court has made an exception in the case of limited field trial of GM mustard proposed by Delhi University,” Prashant Bhushan, counsel for the petitioners Aruna Rodrigues and three other activists said.

“The earlier order of September 22 restraining the GEAC from granting any further approval of field trials would continue to operate,” Bhushan said.

India has so far not allowed commercial planting of any genetically modified crop for human consumption. Cotton is the only genetically modified crop grown on a commercial scale.

The university argued that it would lose out on a year of research if it was disallowed from completing trials of this variety of mustard. The mustard or rapeseed crop is sown in October and harvested in March.

The university said the trials posed no threat to the environment, a claim contested by the petitioners. Activists argue that the existing bio-safety system of the country was flawed as the government did not undertake any independent field trials of its own and instead accepted the results of industry-driven trials. They have been demanding a strict protocol for evaluation of all aspects of bio-safety before a genetically modified organism was released into the environment.