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 […]
Coalition for a GM Free India writes to Dr Sanjeev Baliyan, MoS, Agriculture, Govt of India correcting him on his statement on safety of GM crops
New Delhi, 13/08/2014. Dr Sanjeev Baliyan, MoS, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of India. Dear Sir, Sub: Raising concerns on your statement in the Parliament on safety of GM crops. Namaste! We are writing to you with serious concern regarding the statements you have been giving in the Parliament on GM crops. It is indeed unfortunate […]
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 […]
Letter from eminent Indian scientists to the Prime Minister advising caution against GM crops
New Delhi, 1/08/2014. To Shri Narendra Modi, The Prime Minister Govt of India Dear Sir, Sub: Bringing to your notice the science based concerns on the environmental release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and urging your action to stop them. Reg: We are writing this to bring to your attention the serious concerns of the […]
Coalition for a GM-Free India demands Prakash Javadekar stop flip-flopping on the regulatory clearance, and Say NO to GM field trials
New Delhi, July 30th, 2014: The Coalition for a GM-Free India today demanded that the government be decisive in stopping all approvals for field trials of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in the country. The Coalition, consisting of more than 400 groups across 22 states also reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party government of its promise in […]
Why are Open Air Deliberate Releases of GMOs in the name of Field Trials a matter of concern?
We have uploaded a presentation here which is specifically around open air deliberate releases of new GMOs in the name of Field Trials. The larger question around all GMOs is of course there – that these are unneeded and unwanted. As Jairam Ramesh once put it, here is a technological solution, running around looking for a […]
BKU to MoEFCC: GMOs are unneeded and unsafe – urge you to cancel field trial approvals given by regulators
To: Shri Prakash Javadekar, Central Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change (I/C), Government of India, Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, New Delhi. Respected Shri Javadekar, Sub: GMOs are unneeded and unsafe – urge you to cancel field trial approvals given by regulators. Respected Sir, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) is the largest farmers’ union in the […]
Coalition for a GM-Free India asks Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change to annul the hasty approvals for open-air trials of GMOs by GEAC
New Delhi, July 19, 2014: The apex biotechnology regulator, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) met and approved several applications for field trials of different genetically modified (GM) crops (rice, mustard, chickpea etc.) yesterday. So far, it is reported that 60 of the pending 70 applications have been cleared. This spate of approvals is happening […]
GM Free India Coalition urges Environmental Minister to stop approval of GM crops field trials
New Delhi, 17/07/2014. To Shri Prakash Javadekar, The Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt of India. Dear Sir, Sub: Seeking your urgent intervention in stopping approval for Field trials of GM Crops Reg: We are writing this with utmost concern as numerous media reports in the last two days have indicated that the […]
Copy of the file notings by Jayanti Natarajan surfaces showing strong opposition to the Union of India’s Joint Affidavit in Court
New Delhi, 23rd April, 2014: A Hearing that was slated to take place today in the Supreme Court, in continuation to the arguments heard yesterday in the GMOs PIL by Aruna Rodrigues et al, got postponed for a later date1. On a day when the Supreme Court was expected to take a decisive view on […]
Supreme Court hearing on the PIL on GM crops now on 1st of April – Coalition for a GM Free India demands UPA government to stop misinforming the Court and not stand in the way of delivery of Justice
New Delhi, 30th March 2014: In the latest development related to the public debate and controversy around Genetically Modified (GM) crops in India, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India preponed its hearing on the PIL on GM crops from 15th April to 1st of April 2014 (1). This comes after the hasty, unethical and questionable […]
Karnataka state govt blacklists Mahyco and orders ban on its Bt cotton sales
Karnataka state govt order banning Mahyco’s Bt cotton
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture reiterates its recommendation against open field trials of GM crops
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture 59th report on GM crops
Veerappa Moily claims that he has not approved any field trials, when confronted by farmers
South Indian farmer organizations, led by KRRS march to Veerappa Moily’s House to protest field trial approvals Bangalore, 18th March, 2014: When confronted by scores of farmers of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements (SICCFM), from four states of South India, Veerappa Moily, the Union Minister for […]
Eminent individuals, citizen groups ask Maharashtra’s CM to cancel clearance given for field trials of GM crops
Mumbai, March 13: Mr Shailesh Gandhi, former Central Information Commissioner released a letter to Maharashtra’s Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister written by leading organizations such as BNHS, AGNI, Council for Fair Business Practices, Avaaz and V CAN and by eminent individuals, including the former Director of TISS, former Secretary Agriculture, GOI and four former Judges […]