Biotech Updates

India Eases Process for Release of Genome Edited Plants Without Foreign DNA

May 25, 2022

After extensive deliberations of genetic engineering experts in India, the government released the final guidelines for the safety assessment of genome-edited plants on May 17, 2022. According to the office memorandum released by the Department of Biotechnology, the guidelines serve as a road map for the development and sustainable application of genome editing, including the regulatory pathways to be taken for the release of genome-edited plants.

The guidelines state that genome-edited plants that do not contain foreign DNA are exempted from Rules 1989, which are implemented for genetically engineered plants by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC). The Institutional Biosafety Committee will monitor the genome-edited plants under containment until they are free from foreign DNA. The new guidelines are based on the recommendations of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology and the Department of Agriculture Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Read the guidelines posted on the website of the Department of Biotechnology.


You might also like: