| Home
Experts have supported genetically modified brinjal: Minister
Bombay News.Net
Tuesday 24th November, 2009 (IANS)
The genetically modified Bt Brinjal has been developed in compliance with international norms and experts evaluating it have found no danger in it, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said here Tuesday.
Supporting the experts' panel -- which has been criticised by many independent scientists and green activists, the minister told the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question: 'Bt Brinjal event EE-1 has been developed in compliance with the prevailing regulatory procedures and biosafety guidelines which conform to the international norms'.
Ramesh informed the parliament's upper house: 'The environmental safety studies have been carried out on pollen escape out-crossing, aggressiveness and weediness, effect of the gene on non-target organisms, presence of the protein in soil and its effect on soil microflora, confirmation of the absence of terminator gene and baseline susceptibility studies.'
'The food and feed safety assessment studies carried out include composition analysis, allergenicity and toxicological studies, and feeding studies on fish, chicken, cows and buffaloes,' he added.
The Indian branch of international NGO Greenpeace has been spearheading the opposition to introduction of Bt Brinjal in India, pointing out that the European Union had banned genetically modified crops.
The minister, however, said: 'The cumulative results of more than 50 field trials conducted to assess the safety, efficacy and agronomic performance of Bt Brinjal demonstrates that Cry1Ac protein in Bt Brinjal provides effective protection from the Fruit and Shoot Borer, a major pest in brinjal crop; resulting in enhanced economic benefits to the farmers and traders accrued from higher marketable yield and lower usage of pesticide sprays.'
After the approval by the experts' panel, it is now up to the environment ministry to approve or reject the introduction of the genetically modified crop in India. Ramesh has said the ministry will take a decision after holding a number of public hearings in January and February.  Email this story to a friend
Have your say on this story
|
 |
 |
- Smith praises his team for "outstanding performance" against India
Nagpur, Feb 9: South African skipper Graeme Smith on Tuesday praised his team for crushing India by an innings and six runs in the first Test played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur. [read story]
- Dhoni admits South Africa "completely outplayed" India
Nagpur, Feb 9: Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday admitted that his team was completely outplayed by South Africans, as they crashed to an innings and six runs defeat on the fourth day of the Nagpur Test. [read story]
- Solar energy can be used to combat climate change: Experts
NOIDA (Uttar Pradesh), Feb.9 : Solar energy can be used to combat climate change, scientists from India and Australia said during an Indo-Australian Solar Energy Workshop held here on Tuesday. [read story]
- Kolkata intellectuals decry Chidambaram's meet
Kolkata, Feb 9 (IANS) Magsaysay award winner litterateur Mahasweta Devi was among a few hundred intellectuals, who took out a protest rally and burnt an effigy of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday, decrying his meeting with four eastern states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal for chalking out a coordinated anti-Maoist operation. [read story]
- Chidambaram to Maoists: we'll talk but stop violence
Kolkata/Ranchi/Patna, Feb 9 (IANS) As Maoists again blasted train tracks in Bihar and Jharkhand during their 72-hour shutdown, the government Tuesday warned that operations against the guerrillas would continue but also offered talks if the violence stopped. [read story]
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
