{"id":124770,"date":"2024-08-05T19:25:51","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T13:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=editorial-analysis&#038;p=124770"},"modified":"2024-08-06T20:09:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T14:39:43","slug":"contested-harvest-on-india","status":"publish","type":"editorial-analysis","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/contested-harvest-on-india","title":{"rendered":"Contested Harvest: On India And Genetically Modified Food Crop"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s torturous saga on the fate of <\/span><b>genetically modified food crop<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> made another pit stop last week with a two-judge Bench, of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol of the<a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/supreme-court-split-verdict-on-gm-mustard-approval\/\"> Supreme Court of India, delivering a <\/a><\/span><b>split verdict on the question of allowing genetically modified (GM) mustard<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in farmer fields.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.099%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Relevancy for Prelims: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetically Modified Crops, GM Mustard, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), etc.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Relevancy for Mains:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Potential benefits of genetically modified food crops, Risks associated with genetically modified (GM) food crops, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>India And Genetically Modified Food Crop<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of today, the<\/span><b> only GM seed permissible<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in India is <\/span><b>cotton.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>gain in cotton yield <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">had prompted agricultural institutions, private and public, to <\/span><b>develop GM seeds in food crops<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as rice, wheat, tomato, brinjal and mustard though<\/span><b> none has been released.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>GM Mustard (DMH-11)<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11) is a genetically modified hybrid variety of the <\/span><b>mustard species Brassica juncea.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Characteristics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This variant is herbicide tolerant (HT).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Parent Varieties of GM Mustard<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Varieties Used<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Mustard: \u2018<\/span><b>Varuna<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8216;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">East European Mustard: &#8216;<\/span><b>Early Heera-2\u2019<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Cross-Breeding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The GM mustard is created by crossing these two varieties.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Genetic Modification in Mustard<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Barnase and Barstar:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Two genes are used in the modification.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These genes come from the soil <\/span><b>bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Purpose<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>High-Yield Hybrids: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The genes help create high-yielding commercial mustard hybrids<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Genetic Purity: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The &#8220;bar gene&#8221; maintains the genetic purity of hybrid seed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reason to Focus:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India faces a major deficit in edible oils, with 60% of its demand being met by imports. Thus, increasing the productivity of mustard in the country is vital for the economic <\/span><b>well-being of farmers and self-sufficiency<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in edible oil production.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Significance of GM mustard hybrid, DMH-11: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Higher vigor and yield and will facilitate an increase in domestic production of edible oils as well as enhanced farm incomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Approval: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On October 25, 2022, the<\/span><b> Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, approved the release of DMH-11 and its parental line for cultivation.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will help boost the vibrant genetic engineering research sector in the country and enable the <\/span><b>generation of new crop varieties with improved traits.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>India And Genetically Modified Food Crop<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This led the <\/span><b>GEAC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the scientific advisory body led by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to<\/span><b> approve DMH-11 in October 2022, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">subject to certain tests.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, environmentalist groups have said that the <\/span><b>DMH-11 is a \u2018herbicide tolerant\u2019 crop.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is genetically coded in a way that effectively <\/span><b>forces farmers to use certain kinds of pesticide,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with destructive environmental consequences; the allegations are that the <\/span><b>developers were not transparent <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with this information.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These findings, and the GEAC approval, have been <\/span><b>contested in the Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Aruna Rodrigues and the organisation, Gene Campaign.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> judges disagreed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> among themselves whether the GEAC was correct.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Justice Nagarathna <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said that the GEAC had <\/span><b>violated the \u2018precautionary principle\u2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, under which any new organism or modifying technology should, by default, be <\/span><b>caged in unless its consequences<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are deliberated upon.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Justice Karol, however, appeared to be<\/span><b> satisfied by the process.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, the case <\/span><b>passes on to a larger Bench<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> led by the Chief Justice of India.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the most significant decision was a Court order to the Centre to <\/span><b>evolve a policy on GM crops.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dispute over GM crops is <\/span><b>fundamentally ideological<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and less on the traditional agricultural yardsticks of yield and farm economics.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is amplified by<\/span><b> India\u2019s agricultural history <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where a panacea from yesteryears, <\/span><b>hybrid seeds and synthetic fertilizer, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while improving yields and productivity, have <\/span><b>unleashed environmental harm<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In their decisions, the Court and the government must remember that the<\/span><b> good ought not to be seen as the enemy of the perfect.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The debate on GM crops in India underscores a<\/span><b> clash between technological advancements and environmental concerns. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A balanced, transparent policy is essential for sustainable progress.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.201%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Mains Question:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/assess-the-potential-benefits-and-risks-associated-with-the-adoption-of-genetically-modified-gm-food-crops-in-india-15-marks-250-words\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q. Assess the potential benefits and risks associated with the adoption of genetically modified (GM) food crops in India.\u00a0 (15 Marks, 250 Words)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.131%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 138.049%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Editorials<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.5135%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.5135%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-previous-year-papers?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Previous+Year+Papers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.5135%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Test Series 2024<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.5135%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Main Answer Writing<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 138.049%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India\u2019s torturous saga on the fate of genetically modified food crop made another pit stop last week with a two-judge Bench, of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol of the Supreme Court of India, delivering a split verdict on the question of allowing genetically modified (GM) mustard in farmer fields. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":124954,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[],"subject":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/124770"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/editorial-analysis"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124770"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/124770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124872,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/124770\/revisions\/124872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124770"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=124770"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=124770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}