June 13, 2013 To Dr. T Subbarami Reddy, MP Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee for Science & Technology, Environment & Forests. Re: To seek extension of time to 90 days for public feedback on the BRAI Bill Respected Sir, Please accept our warm greetings ! We have seen the notification issued on June 11, 2013 by […]
What’s wrong with the BRAI Bill 2013? Read on, to find out….
(Bill copy at: http://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/the-biotechnology-regulatory-authority-of-india-bill-2013-2709/; Detailed critique at: http://indiagminfo.org/?page_id=82 and Legal assessment available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/india/Global/india/report/BRAI-Critique-Report.pdf) The following post’s hindi version is downloadable here. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE BRAI BILL 2013 AND WHAT DO WE NEED? 1. PROMOTION CANNOT BE REGULATION: BRAI Bill makes promotion of modern biotechnology as its objective (“A bill to promote the safe […]
Coalition’s feedback on the 15 April 2013 Report of the High Level Working Group (HLWG) on Western Ghats
Subject : Comment on the 15 April 2013, Report of the High Level Working Group (HLWG) on Western Ghats ( Part 1 & 2 ) We have perused the Report of the High Level Working Group (HLWG) on Western Ghats and would like to provide specific feedback on the issues of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). […]
Pressure to withdraw BRAI Bill mounting on Jaipal Reddy
Madhya Pradesh government’s agriculture minister has written to the Union Minister for Science & Technology, Jaipal Reddy, to withdraw the BRAI Bill. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/madhya-pradesh-wants-bill-on-biotech-regulator-withdrawn/article4680471.ece Further, 16 Parliamentarians, including four floor leaders (of CPI-M, AIADMK, Telugu Desam Party and BJD. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/16-mps-want-govt-to-withdraw-bill-on-biotech-regulator/article4667162.ece The Communist Party of India leader, D Raja, also wrote to the Minister demanding withdrawal of […]
Conflict of Interest pervades Supreme Court’s expert committee too!
To: May 6, 2013 Learned Bench of Supreme Court of India, In Civil Writ Petition 260 of 2005. Respected Sirs, Sub: Conflict of interest of a member of the Court’s Technical Expert Committee – reg. Ref: GMOs PIL, Civil Writ Petition 260 of 2005 Greetings! Greetings from the Coalition for a GM-Free India ! […]
Govt betrays the nation on Earth Day! Tables deeply flawed (Biotech Regulatory Authority of India) BRAI Bill
Bill introduced despite trenchant opposition within and outside the Parliament New Delhi, 23rd April 2013: The Coalition for a GM-Free India expressed deep disappointment at the Government’s action of sneaking in the controversial Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill 2013, in Parliament today (22nd April, 2013) despite strong opposition from parliamentarians, scientists, civil society […]
“Mounting scientific evidence on adverse impacts of GM crops/foods”: Govt and Proponents should stop fooling public about transgenics
On the 11th anniversary of the official approval of Bt Cotton in India, Coalition for a GM Free India releases a compilation of more than 400 published papers showing adverse impacts of genetically modified crops / food New Delhi 26/03/2013: On the 11th anniversary of the official approval of Bt cotton in India, the Coalition […]
“Biodiversity and Biosafety key to Food Security"
“TRANSGENICS WILL NOT MEET OUR FOOD SECURITY NEEDS” National Seminar on GM Crops and Food Security asks for a Biosafety Law to be enacted New Delhi / Ahmedabad, February 15, 2013: The 2-day national seminar on “GM Crops and Food Security” jointly organized by Jatan Trust, Gujarat Vidyapith and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh concluded in Ahmedabad […]
Transgenic Crop (Field Trial)s & Food Security: more than 150 scientists write to MoEF
To: February 8th, 2013 Ms Jayanti Natarajan, Hon’ble Minister for Environment & Forests, Government of India. Dear Madam, Sub: TRANSGENIC CROP (FIELD TRIAL)S & FOOD SECURITY Greetings! This is in the context of the Ministry of Agriculture responding on behalf of the Union of India to the Supreme Court Technical […]
“Food security through GM crops fallacious”: Scientists
National Safe Food Day being celebrated throughout the country, on 3rd anniversary of Bt brinjal moratorium (Please read this press release of the Coalition along with this letter : http://indiagminfo.org/?p=540) New Delhi, February 9th 2013: On the 3rd anniversary of a moratorium on Bt brinjal in India, in a letter to the Minister for Environment […]
Coalition condemns MoA’s attempt to bring in controversial people as “eminent speakers” in a Ministry’s Conference
The following is the text of a letter sent by the Coalition to the Minister for Agriculture, in the context of an upcoming Conference by the Ministry called “Doubling Food Production in Five Years”, on Feb. 1-3, 2013 in Delhi. A full page advertisement about this appeared in national newspapers including Economic Times on January […]
Mark Lynas & his support of GM crops – Much ado about nothing!
This note has been prepared in the context of the absolutely vested and purposefully planted story of Mark Lynas and his Confession. The Coalition for GM Free India sees this as a distraction, from the real debate on GM crops and its impacts, and its disturbing to see that even a section of the media […]
Letter from Civil Society Organisations on Improving current regulation and implementing a robust regulatory mechanism for GM crops to ensure biosafety
New Delhi 2nd January 2013 To: Ms. Jayanti Natarajan Minister for State for Environment & Forests (Independent Charge) Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Estate, New Delhi. Dear Madam, Re: Improving current regulation and implementing a robust regulatory mechanism for GM crops to ensure biosafety Greetings! And Happy New Year Wishes ! This is with regard […]
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 […]
GOVERNMENT’S POSITION IN COURT A LET-DOWN AND UNACCEPTABLE, A BOW TO THE PRESSURE FROM BIOTECH INDUSTRY
In today’s Supreme Court hearing in the PIL on GMOs, the Government of India, through its representative from the Ministry of Agriculture (and not the Ministry of Environment & Forests which has the jurisdiction on regulation of GM crops), opposed the scientifically sound recommendations of the Technical Expert Committee to make the GM regulation and […]