OPEN STATEMENT BY SCIENTISTS OF INDIA AGAINST THE GAG ORDER ISSUED ON PUBLIC SECTOR SCIENTISTS
We, the undersigned scientists, urge the Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India to immediately withdraw an instruction put out on 23rd December 2022, which is tantamount to a gag order, denying scientists the right to practise science in its true spirit and present evidence-based analysis. It is against the backdrop of a press release from DG-ICAR (https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1886080, on 23rd December 2022, in the context of GM mustard approval public debate) that we are forced to put out this Open Statement.
DARE/ICAR is appearing to silence the voices of public sector scientists, by invoking “administrative procedures” that too in the name of ‘public interest’ and this is also being extended to retired scientists not in the service of the government at present.
Article 51(A) of Constitution of India lists down Fundamental Duties of all Citizens of India. 51(A)(h) states that “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to develop the scientific temper, humanism, the spirit of inquiry and reform”.
While that is laid down in the Constitution of our country, citizens trained as scientists understand the core spirit of science. Science is about asking questions and seeking answers. Science progresses on being critical of conclusions already made, and questioning certainties, clarifying niggling doubts and double-checking results.
In fact, it is the duty of a confident and progressive government to invite open and transparent public debate based on scientific facts and set a precedent of public participation in issues related to policy choices of technology. This is about democratisation of science and technology, without compromising on the scientific rigour. This press release issued by DARE/ICAR is in direct contravention to our constitutional rights and fundamental duty as scientists to work with freedom.
This instruction, on the other hand, is in effect a gag order by which scientific temper and independent inquiry is being discouraged among current serving scientists and even retired scientists. This is not expected, and certainly not from an elected democratic government in 21st century India. We therefore urge DARE/ICAR of Government of India to immediately publish a corrigendum and take back this directive.
Dr Sultan Ismail PhD, DSc,
Soil Biologist & Ecologist,
Former Head, Dept of Biotechnology,
The New College,
Chennai.
Endorsed by –
| S.No. | Name (alphabetically) | Specialisation |
| 1 | A R Vasavi | Social Anthropologist |
| 2 | Anupam Paul | Agriculture, Organic Farming |
| 3 | APS Mann | Biochemistry |
| 4 | Ashok Kaushal | Computer science |
| 5 | Ashoke Ranjan Thakur | Biophysics/Molecular Biology |
| 6 | Asok Kanti Sanyal | Ecologist, Taxonomist |
| 7 | B.Narsimha Reddy | Plant Pathology,Fungal Toxicology |
| 8 | Banumathi | Nursing |
| 9 | Bhaskaran Raman | Computer Science & Engineering |
| 10 | Bhavani R V | Economics (Food and Nutrition Security) |
| 11 | Debasis Mazumdar | Agricultural Statistics |
| 12 | Dhiraj Singh | Oilseed Brassica Breeder |
| 13 | Duvuru Narasimhan | Biodiversity |
| 14 | Gunathilagaraj Kandasamy | Entomology |
| 15 | GV Ramanjaneyulu | Agricultural Extension |
| 16 | Indira Ghosh | Bioinformatics & Computational Biology |
| 17 | Indira Vijaysimha | Science Education |
| 18 | Jayalakshmi P. S. | Taxonomy of algae |
| 19 | Jis Sebastian | Ecology |
| 20 | K. Kanchana Devi | Microbiology |
| 21 | K.B. Wanjari | Pulses Breeding |
| 22 | Kaleena Mitheran | Environmental studies |
| 23 | Karen Haydock | Science education, Biophysics |
| 24 | Kondaveeti Vijayalakshmi | Microbiology |
| 25 | Lalitha Vijayan | Ecology & Environment |
| 26 | M. K. Mukundan | Food processing & quality assurance including food safety. |
| 27 | Medha S Rajadhyaksha | Neurosciences |
| 28 | Mira Shiva | Medicine |
| 29 | Mundra Adinarayana | Chemistry |
| 30 | Nagarjuna G | Science Education Research |
| 31 | Nagumothu Venugopalrao | Teaching and research, cotton entomology |
| 32 | Om Damani | System Dynamics |
| 33 | Pandurang Sitaramji Babhulkar | Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry |
| 34 | Pawan K Tak | Organic farming |
| 35 | Purendra Prasad | Social Scientist |
| 36 | Radha Gopalan | Environmental Science and Engineering |
| 37 | Rajalakshmi. G | Molecular biology and Biotechnology |
| 38 | Ramakrishnappa K | Seed Technogy |
| 39 | Ramesh Arora | Entomologist, agricultural scientist |
| 40 | Raveendran Muthurajan | Biotechnology |
| 41 | S.Santhi | Ecology |
| 42 | Sagari R Ramdas | Veterinary Scientist |
| 43 | Sagarika Devi | Natural Product Discovery |
| 44 | Samudrala Venkata Chenchu Kameswara Rao | Remote Sensing Applications in Agriculture |
| 45 | Siddhartha Sengupta | Physics, AI, Industrial Engineering |
| 46 | Soma Marla | Crop bioinformatics & Genomics |
| 47 | Sudhir Kumar Suthar | Political Science |
| 48 | Sujatha Byravan | Biological sciences |
| 49 | Suman Sahai | Genetics |
| 50 | Sundaram Seshadri | Botany – Microbiology |
| 51 | Suvrat Raju | Physics |
| 52 | Sylvia Karpagam | Public health doctor |
| 53 | T Prakasam | Earthworm Ecology |
| 54 | T.S. Subha | Microbiology |
| 55 | Tarak Kate | Plant Scientist |
| 56 | Thara K. G | Disaster Management and Geology |
| 57 | Vandana Prasad | Pediatrics and Public Health |
| 58 | Veena Shatrugna MD | Clinical Nutrition (Biochemistry) |
| 59 | Vidyanand Nanjundiah | Evolutionary biology |
| 60 | Vinod Kumar Gaur | Earth & environment |
| 61 | Vipul Ganesh Kelkar | Plant Biotechnology |
| 62 | Yadu C R | Agricultural Economics |
| 63 | Yuvaraj Duraisamy | Textile Science |
| 64 | Zakir Hussain | Research on agroecology and natural farming |
Letter sent by Dr VS Vijayan to Union Minister for Environment: Dr-VS-Vijayan-to-Minister-for-Environment-and-Forest-and-Climate-Change-on-GM-mustard.pdf (indiagminfo.org)
Letter sent by Dr VS Vijayan to Director General, ICAR/Secretary – DARE: Dr-VS-Vijayan-to-ICAR-on-GM-mustard-press-release-31st-Dec-2022.pdf (indiagminfo.org)
Letter sent to the Union Agriculture Minister by Shri Binoy Viswam, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament: Letter to Agricultural Min – Gag order against GM crops (indiagminfo.org)
Letter by group of scientists associated with Krushi Vaidhnyanik Manch, Nagpur to Prime Minister: Scientists-writing-to-PM-Modi-on-GM-mustard.pdf (indiagminfo.org)