"Scientists must look to the future while keeping in mind past experiences," Kumar told the 71st Annual General Meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Society, elaborating upon the need to seriously consider biotechnology and also be adequately prepared to meet WTO provisions.Saying that the debate on transgenic or genetically-modified crops had assumed significance, the minister said the decision to introduce them in Indian soil must be based on science-based evaluation."It is not a political decision," he quipped.

He reiterated that if environment or health was in anyway affected, that crop variety would not be allowed to be introduced in the fields. He also categorically ruled out promotion of terminator technology saying "no seed with terminator gene will be sown, grown or propagated".

At the same time, he said, transgenic crops' potential toenhance productivity, profitability as well as nutritional quality must not be ignored and that which was beneficial for the farmer and the country must be considered. On the issue of World Trade Organisation, Kumar said a comprehensive proposal would be put up to the world body, incorporating India's stand on market access, food security, research, education and the cost factors.

In this context, Kumar hoped that the comprehensive Plantrieties Protection and Farmers' Right Bill that was cleared by the Parliamentary Select Committee, would be approved.

This would provide the much-needed protection to plant breeders as well as researchers, he added.Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture Minister of State Dr Debendra Pradhan said the future task should be to convert challenges into opportunities through appropriate focusing on reorientation of research, education and extension agenda so as to bridge existing gaps in the programmes.

He also stressed on improved post-harvest activities to reduce losses and generation of appropriate technologies for value addition, along with an understanding of the needs and influence of internal and external markets in the post-GATT era.

With the rapid changes brought about by the new economic order, Pradhan said ICAR needed to anticipate and adjust to a changing environment increasingly affected by local compulsions and global forces.

Giving an overview of ICAR functioning, its Director General Dr R S Paroda said the council had launched an innovative technology assessment and need-based refinement programme "Institution Village Linkage Programme (IVLP)" by involving 42 ICAR institutes and State Agricultural Universities.