Lok Sabha Question No. 1323 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-25
Subject: Genetic Engineering Approval Committee
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: P. Velusamy

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1323

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2022

## Genetic Engineering Approval Committee

## 1323.   SHRI VELUSAMY P.:

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

- (a) whether the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has advocated the interest of project developers with State Governments for genetically modified crops?
- (b) If so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of project developers who have implemented Genetically Modified (GM) crops without the mandatory clearance from GEAC;
- (d) whether the Ministry has received any complaints from the States in this regard;
- (e) the  framework  under  which  the  Ministry  is  issuing  NOC  from  GEAC  when  as  per  the Institution, agriculture is a State subject;
- (f) whether the Ministry has any scientific analysis regarding the further effects of GM seeds to protect the interest of the farmers; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b): The  Genetic  Engineering  Appraisal  Committee  (GEAC)  is  the  statutory committee constituted under the 'Rules for the Manufacture, Use/Import/Export  and  Storage  of  Hazardous  Micro  Organisms/Genetically Engineered  Organisms  or  Cells  (Rules,  1989)'  framed  under  Environment (Protection)  Act,  1986.  Applications  are  considered  by  GEAC  as  per theprovisions  of  the  Rules,  1989  and  amendments  thereafter.  Every  set  of application has specific form and pre-requisite  documents along with recommendations, wherever needed.
- (c) to (e): Clearance of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is mandatory  for  the  environmental  release  of  Genetically  Modified  (GM) crops.  As  per  the  ''Rules  1989'',State/UT  Biotechnology  Coordination Committees  and  District  Level  Committees  are  responsible  for  monitoring instances  of  illegal  cultivation  of  GM  crops  and  taking  appropriate  action under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Chief Secretary of State/UT is  the  Chairperson  for  the  StateBiotechnology  Coordination  Committee (SBCC). Any complaints that come to thenotice of GEAC secretariat are sent to the Chief Secretary.

For  the  consideration  of  any  application  related  to  confined  field  trials  of Genetically  Modified  (GM)  crops  by  GEAC,  NOC  from  the  State/UT Government is required.

- (f) & (g): Bt  cotton  is  the  only  GM  crop  which  has  been  approved  for  commercial cultivationin India.The IndianCouncil of Agricultural  Research  (ICAR) conducted study during (2012 -2015) on impact of Bt cotton on 2700 cotton growing farmers belonging to 18 major cotton growing districts of Maharashtra and it was observed that the average seed cotton yield increased after the adoption of Bt Cotton. Also, ICAR has done the feeding studies of Bt  cotton  on  various  animals  viz.,  broiler  chickens,  lambs,  cows  and  goat which was found to be safe.

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