Lok Sabha Question No. 73 (STARRED), answered on 2017-02-07
Subject: GM Crops
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: PRATHAP SIMHA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 73

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2017

## GM Crops

## *73. SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  received  any  proposal  for  commercial  cultivation  of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in the country in recent years and if so, the details and the present status thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  potential  side  effects  of  GM  crops  and  has established  due  procedure  for  assessment  of  impacts,  risks  and  benefits  of  such  crop varieties and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether concerns have been raised by various stakeholders regarding cultivation and sale of GM crop/food varieties including loss of food biodiversity;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and
- (e) the efforts made by the Government to address the concerns raised by the stakeholders in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  73  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  07.02.2017  REGARDING  GM  CROPS  BY  SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA.

(a) The Centre for Genetic Manipulation and Crop Plants (CGMCP), University of Delhi South  Campus  has  submitted  an  application  for  environmental  release  of  Genetically Engineered (GE) Mustard which has completed health and environmental biosafety assessment  studies  as  per  relevant  guidelines  and  Standard  Operating  Procedures  (SOPs) prescribed by the Government of India as per Rules for the manufacture, use/import/export and storage of  hazardous  microorganisms/ genetically engineered organisms or cells 1989 (Rules  1989) under  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986.  The  application  submitted  by CGMCP  for  environmental  release  of  GE  mustard  is  under  examination  by  Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).

(b) The Government is aware of potential side effects of GE crops and has established due procedures for health and environmental safety assessment of risks and benefits of GE crop  varieties.  The  biosafety  assessment  of  each  crop  and  trait  including  GE  Mustard  is carried out on a case-by-case basis according to the relevant guidelines and SOPs prescribed by Government of India.

(c) & (d) Some  concerns  and  apprehensions  have  been  raised  by  a  group  of  NonGovernment  Organisations  (NGOs)  on  the  biosafety  assessment  of  GE  Mustard.  GEAC provided an opportunity to the stakeholders to share their concerns during the 129 th GEAC meeting held on June 20, 2016. A  special meeting was convened exclusively for understanding the concerns of stakeholders on July 18, 2016.

(e) Government has made necessary efforts to address the concerns raised by stakeholders.  As  part  of  this  initiative,  GEAC  in  its  126 th meeting  held  on  04.01.2016 reviewed  the  application  submitted  by  CGMCP,  University  of  Delhi,  South  Campus  and constituted a Sub-Committee consisting of an inter-disciplinary group of experts from GEAC for  a  thorough  review  of  the  biosafety  dossier  consisting  health  and  environmental  safety studies  data  submitted  by  CGMCP  on  GE  Mustard.  Accordingly,  the  Sub-Committee prepared an Assessment of Food and Environmental Safety (AFES) document and submitted to GEAC for its evaluation.

The AFES document prepared by Sub-Committee on GE Mustard was placed on the website of Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for a period of 30 days from September  05, 2016  to October 05, 2016  for inviting  public  comments  from stakeholders. Entire dossier consisting of health and environmental safety studies submitted by CGMCP, University of Delhi South Campus was also made available for review by public in MoEF&CC during the consultation period.  A total of 759 comments have been received from various stakeholders and 29 people in person have reviewed the dossier.

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