Union Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said that proper caution has to be taken in the context of genetically modified (GM) crops and India cannot say no to science.
Speaking at the launch of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) here, he said,” We have not said no to science. Nobody can say no to science. Yes we have to take proper caution, we have to take proper action. But you cannot deny it. We are not living in Galileo's times. Galileo was telling the truth and he was punished. That was the worst day for the world.“
The event was organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in co-operation with the IPCC and the Climate Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), among others.
Mr. Javadekar said he was of the firm opinion that whichever country doesn't believe is science is doomed to fail and will be left behind.
And the country that worships science, cannot be left behind. And India has chosen the path of science, he added without specifying clearly if the field trials of GM crops would be permitted.
Meanwhile, The Coalition for a GM-Free India condemned the way in which the government continues to overlook scientific evidence and public concerns against open releases of GM crops, including in the name of field trials.
Releasing its analysis of the 47 field trials of GM crops that have been approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal
Committee (GEAC), the Coalition pointed to the unscientific and non-transparent way in which trials are being cleared. Besides it said 72 per cent of those approved are from the private sector with 62 per cent from multinational seed corporations.
The Coalition said field trials approved in 19 states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala which had repeatedly refused permission for GM field trials. There is nothing scientific about the open-ended manner in which trials are being allowed. Nor are the conditions for field trials compliant with Supreme Court orders, a statement said.
The Coalition told Mr Javadekar that his mandate is not to promote GM crops but to safeguard biosafety and other interests of the nation.
GEAC has inexplicably, without assigning any reasons, violating the norms laid down by the Supreme Court and its own past decision to be transparent, stopped posting full minutes of its meetings online since Meeting 117. The agenda of the GEAC meetings are also not posted online, though it was the practice since 2004. A brief note is posted online which gives no information about what field trials were approved, for which crops, which seasons, what locations, what are the events, and which applicants have been given approvals, the statement added.
