Union Minister for Women and Child Welfare Smt Maneka Gandhi addressed the gathering at the 5th National organic farming Convention being held in Chandigarh, the common capital city of Punjab & Haryana. She pointed to the increased use of systemic pesticides because of Bt cotton, the only GM crop commercially cultivated in India and the […]
Coalition for a GM Free India writes to Prakash Javadekar, Urges him to stop field trials after media expose shows rampant irregularities
New Delhi, 10/09/14. To, Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India. Dear Sir, Sub: Evidence of regulatory apparatus in shambles emerges once again – Seeking immediate intervention to stop field trials of GM crops happening in the country – Reg. Namaste! Just as a crucial Supreme Court hearing […]
GEAC's recent clearances for GM field trials: An Analysis by Coalition for a GM-Free India
Problems with GEAC’s decisions and recent field trial approvals In the recent past GEAC has held four meetings at close intervals and approved numerous field trials. The Coalition for a GM-Free India has already put out two media statements explaining why these clearances are objectionable and these can be accessed here: http://indiagminfo.org/?p=749 and http://indiagminfo.org/?p=725. While […]
Karnataka state govt blacklists Mahyco and orders ban on its Bt cotton sales
Karnataka state govt order banning Mahyco’s Bt cotton
ICAR REPORT ON BNBt Cotton EXPOSES INCOMPETENCE OF GM SCIENTISTS AND REGULATORS TO REGULATE GMOs IN INDIA
Coalition for GM Free India demands withdrawal of Supreme Court affidavit of Ministry of Agriculture that gives clean chit to GM regulators. Reacting to the Prof.Sopory Committee Report1 that investigated the Bt Bikaneri Narma case, the Coalition for a GM-Free India said that, “We congratulate the Committee for its thorough investigation which exposes one of […]
Dismal picture of cotton in Madhya Pradesh in the past decade
A report released by Beej Swaraj Abhiyan and Hamara Beej Abhiyan in Madhya Pradesh on March 31st 2012, also including data from a primary survey taken up in 2012, to look at the comparative performance of Bt cotton with a set of sample farmers in Kharif 2011 as compared to their experiences in Kharif 2011, […]
Bt cotton hype in Karnataka exposed
A report released on the occasion of a one-day workshop called “10 years of Bt cotton in Karnataka: Whither other cotton?”, with partial support from the Karnataka State Biodiversity Board on March 29th 2012 is available here. This report exposes the reality of fluctuating yields of cotton in the state, increasing use of chemical pesticides […]
10 years of Bt Cotton – False Hype and Failed Promises Exposed
The false hype and failed promises of Bt cotton in India were exposed by the Coalition for GM-Free India with a special report released in a press conference here today. As the 10th anniversary of Bt cotton’s regulatory approval in India approaches, the Coalition, using data from government institutions, highlighted that the hype around Bt […]
India’s ‘public sector indigenous Bt cotton’ a scientific fraud!
Coalition for a GM-Free India demands immediate stopping of all public sector transgenic research and an independent enquiry and action against fraudulent scientists. 2011 ends with a big blot to the Indian scientific community, as was the case in 2010 too. The much-hyped public sector Bt cotton lines (Bikaneri Narma Bt variety and NHH-44 Bt […]
Hyped Desi Cotton has Monsanto gene!
India’s claim of having developed its own Bt cotton (genetically modified) variety has taken an embarrassing turn with an RTI inquiry by two scientists revealing how the University of Agriculture Sciences (UAS) at Dharwad went ahead — brushing aside all precautions — to produce an indigenous variety working on a gene originally patented by Monsanto. […]
Scientific Fraud: Misconduct by UAS-Dharwad in the name of Bt cotton
In the name of Bt cotton production, spurious act of developing Bt cotton A misconduct in the name of developing Bt Cotton, by University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad came to the notice of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR). In the last eight years, as the Bt cotton seed prices were increasing, agriculture researchers, knowledgeable […]
Cotton yield may fall to 5-year low
Right from the beginning, it has been seen that in good years, when the yields are good, industry gives credit to Bt cotton; in bad years, blame it on the rain! Cotton yield may fall to 5-yr low The cotton revolution through Bacillus Thuringiensis, popularly known as Bt, has been losing its sheen gradually over […]
VJAS complains to ToI against ‘paid news’ on Bt cotton & Vidarbha
To The Editor The Times of India Nagpur & Mumbai Dear Sir, Sub: False advertising campaign by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech in Times of India starting August 28, 2011. A serious instance of ‘paid news?’ More than once in the past some reporters of the Times of India (certainly in Nagpur) have shown much sensitivity and […]
“Got a Plant, will republish for a fee”: on Paid News….
It is unclear whether ToI had actually published a retraction or rejoinder or explanation about this. “Got a plant, will republish for a fee” The Times of India reruns a three-year-old story on Bt Cotton without any updates as paid news. It is described as a consumer connect initiative. Why did Mahyco Monsanto Biotech get […]