India Likely to Approve GM Crops

Posted by Jackie Pucci|8 January 2014

India’s Environment Minister Veerappa Moily is likely to soon approve genetically modified food crops in the country, according to an article in The Economic Times.

According to the article, Moily’s support will pave the way for the government to submit an affidavit in the Supreme Court to allow field trials of GM food crops on a conditional basis.

“The court is hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the issue and the Prime Minister’s Office as well as the agriculture ministry have pushed hard to submit such an affidavit, but were unable to do so because of resistance from [predecessor Jayanthi Natarajan.] Her opposition to field trials has been cited as one of the reasons for her departure from the Cabinet last week.”

Moily will need to decide on the GM issue soon, as the government is required to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court in early 2014, the article said.