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Biotech panel approves three transgenic vegetables being tested in the country
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Thursday, 16 July, 2009, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The government on Tuesday announced announced that it plans to introduce genetically modified (GM) vegetables - tomato, brinjal and cauliflower - in the country in the next three years. The announcement was made by agriculture minister Sharad Pawar in the Lok Sabha.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Department of Biotechnology have approved the three transgenic crops that are in various stages of tests and development in institutes across the country. After tests, the final clearance for cultivation of GM crops in India is given by the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation and the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, which has been accused of conflict of interest and favouring the biotech industry.
Till date, India has only allowed GM cotton - a non-food crop. The use of GM cotton has grown and has been successful, but so has the controversy around it. GM food products, however, are a different game, with international opinion divided on whether they should be allowed to be eaten or grown. Critics claim that not enough safety tests have been done and their results are not shared to prove that GM foods are safe to eat. The debate on whether GM crops would impact the ecosystem, making pests immune to the inserted gene and rendering the crop useless, continues in the scientific and green community.
The promoters of GM crops, however, argue that in India, which needs to raise agricultural output to feed the growing population, it would be impossible to overlook the promise of GM foods in meeting these demands.
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