India's Premier Science Academy Supports GM Crops

The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India's premier agricultural science body, has openly supported the existing system for field testing of genetically modified (GM) crops, saying that the process is stringent and adequate enough."NAAS feels strongly that the mechanism in place for certifying the safety of transgenic crops and GM food in India is most stringent, adequate and at the same time dynamic," the Academy said in a press statement issued on 31 August 2013.

The academy has strongly condemned the recommendations of the report of the Supreme Court-nominated Technical Expert Committee (TEC) on GM crops. The NAAS endorses the recommendation of Dr. Paroda's report submitted separately to the Supreme Court of India and appealed for its adoption in the larger interest of country's agriculture, food and nutritional security. The academy said that the report submitted by Dr. Paroda is more realistic and scientific than the TEC report. The press note released by NAAS quoted that "Any ban on research and testing of such technologies will push our country at least 20 years behind and it will be difficult to recover due to intense global competition for the development on commercialization of the GM technologies, eventually all of us will have to pay the price."

Addressing the media at a conference held on August 31, 2013 at Delhi, Dr. S. Ayyappan, Director General of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research and a distinguished fellow of NAAS assured all support for further strengthening of infrastructure for agronomic performance and bio-safety evaluation of GM crops. NAAS has more than 500 top agricultural scientists from India and abroad including leading biotechnologists as its fellows, who provide critical inputs in shaping the agricultural policy and research dimension in the country.

For more information about press note on field testing on GM crops, visit NAAS official website at http://www.naasindia.org/.