The Central government has filed an application in the Supreme Court to modify the status quo commitment it had previously given regarding the release of genetically modified (GM) mustard for seed production and testing. This move follows an earlier oral undertaking made by the government in November 2022, and the case pertains to the commercial cultivation of GM mustard in India.
The application was presented before a bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan. The government's counsel informed the bench on Tuesday that the initial oral undertaking was made in the context of the case being listed for final hearing the following week.
The initial oral undertaking, although not formally recorded in the court's order, had assured that the government would refrain from taking any hasty steps regarding the decision made by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to allow the environmental release of GM mustard.
Activist Aruna Rodrigues has consistently opposed the environmental release of genetically modified mustard, expressing concerns about the potential contamination of all mustard seeds in the country due to the release. Advocate Prashant Bhushan highlighted the recommendations of the apex court's technical expert committee, which had initially suggested a 10-year moratorium on field trials of BT transgenics and later advocated for an indefinite and complete ban on herbicide-tolerant crops.
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee granted approval for the environmental release of GM mustard for seed production and testing on October 25. This decision has sparked debates about the potential consequences of genetically modified crops on biodiversity and public health.
In response to the government's new application, a bench issued notices to the 'Gene Campaign', an NGO that had filed a petition in 2004, and other stakeholders, including Aruna Rodrigues. The bench underlined that the passage of time doesn't automatically nullify the previous undertaking, as the matter remains pending and subject to judicial consideration.
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