Nobel winner backs GM crop innovation in Indian Labs

Why in News?

Addressing the 2nd Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) at Bharat Mandapam, Richard J. Roberts, the 1993 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, advocated indigenous crop biotechnology research.

He argued that Indian laboratories can develop and own improved crops, reducing dependence on foreign corporations. 

What are Genetically Modified Crops?

• GM crops have their DNA modified (altered) through genetic engineering. It involves inserting new DNA into the genome of the plant. 
• E.g., Bt cotton is a GM pest-resistant variety of cotton. It was genetically modified by the insertion of one or more genes (Cry1 Ac) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Strains of the bacterium produce toxins harmful to a variety of insects, like the American bollworm, that commonly attack cotton crops. It is India’s first transgenic crop approved for commercial cultivation in 2002.

CRISPR-Cas9 uses a guide RNA to direct the Cas9 enzyme to a specific DNA sequence. The enzyme cuts the DNA, and cellular repair processes enable targeted alterations.

Roberts proposed the expression of “biotechnologically modified (BM)” crops to reduce negative perceptions associated with the term “Genetically Modified (GM)” crops. He noted that evolution itself is a continuous process of genetic modification. 

GM Crop status in India:

1. Bt Cotton (Transgenic Non-Food Crop)

• Regulatory Status: Commercially approved since 2002; remains India’s only permitted commercially cultivated genetically modified crop.
• Mechanism: Incorporates Cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis to express proteins toxic specifically to Lepidopteran pests (e.g., American Bollworm); it offers no protection against sucking pests (e.g., whiteflies).
• While government data records an initial reduction in chemical insecticide deployment and bollworm infestation, the emergence of Pink Bollworm (PBW) resistance highlights the failure of structural resistance management.

2. Bt Brinjal (Transgenic Food Crop)

• Regulatory Status: Under an indefinite commercial moratorium since 2010 imposed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Highlights that the regulatory approval of food crops necessitates rigorous biosafety data transparency, independent multi-generational toxicity studies, and high public institutional trust. 

3. GM Mustard / DMH-11 (Transgenic Food Crop)

• Mechanism: Developed by Delhi University, GM mustard uses the Barnase-Barstar-Bar gene system derived from soil bacteria to facilitate hybrid seed production. The resulting hybrids exhibit heterosis (hybrid vigour), such as higher yield than their parents. The bar gene confers herbicide tolerance.
• Regulatory Status: Cleared for environmental release in 2022 (strictly for seed multiplication and conditional field testing), but not for unrestricted commercial cultivation.
• In 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on its environmental release but unanimously directed the Union Government to formulate a comprehensive National Policy on GM Crops via broad stakeholder consultation.

4. Golden Rice (Transgenic Biofortified Crop)

• Mechanism: Engineered with genes from daffodil and a soil bacterium (Pantoea ananatis) to biosynthesise beta-carotene (Vitamin A precursor) in the rice endosperm to tackle Hidden Hunger.

5. Genome-Edited Rice / SDN-1 & SDN-2 (Non-Transgenic Innovation)

• In 2025, India introduced DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1, developed indigenously by ICAR institutions.
• Developed via CRISPR-based genome editing. Under India’s biosafety guidelines, SDN-1 and SDN-2 categories (which do not introduce foreign DNA) are exempted from the rigorous multi-layered approvals required for transgenic Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) under the GEAC.

Benefits of GM crops: 

• Yield protection and productivity: GM crops can reduce losses caused by insects, weeds, diseases and environmental stresses, thereby helping improve or protect crop yield.
• Resistance to biotic stresses: They can be developed to resist insects, pests and viral diseases. E.g., Bt cotton is resistant to bollworm.
• Tolerance to abiotic stresses: GM crops may be engineered for better tolerance to drought, salinity, heat, cold or flooding. 
• Improved nutritional quality: GM technology can enhance nutritional content, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids or protein quality. E.g., Golden Rice was developed to produce beta-carotene.
• Reduced pesticide use in some cases: Insect-resistant crops like Bt crops may reduce the need for chemical insecticides, though resistance management is necessary.
• Herbicide tolerance: Some GM crops are made tolerant to specific herbicides, helping farmers control weeds more efficiently.
• Better shelf life: GM crops can be developed for delayed ripening, improved taste, better processing quality or reduced post-harvest losses.

Concerns over GM crops:

• Gene flow and genetic contamination: GM traits may spread to nearby non-GM farms, landraces or wild relatives through pollen flow, seed mixing or volunteer plants, creating concerns over contamination and loss of varietal purity.
• Food and health safety: GM food products require case-by-case assessment for allergenicity, toxicity, nutritional changes, antibiotic-resistance marker transfer and long-term dietary exposure. 
• Herbicide-linked risks: Herbicide-tolerant crops may encourage greater herbicide use, leading to resistant weeds, residue concerns and environmental contamination. 
• Regulatory and trust deficit: Even confined trials need transparent approvals, public disclosure of trial protocols, independent monitoring, liability rules for contamination, and post-trial surveillance.

Way Forward: 

• Institutional Streamlining: Standardise and strengthen the regulatory approvals handled by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the MoEFCC.
• Public Sector-led R&D: Pivot focus toward ICAR and state agricultural universities to engineer locally tailored, trait-specific, and economically accessible seed technologies. 
• Institutional Data Transparency: Mandate public disclosure of multi-location trial methodologies, comparator benchmarks, and the explicit biosafety rationale behind GEAC decisions.
• Rigorous Agronomic Validation: Evaluate each variety individually based on its exact genetic alteration, targeted utility, and distinct agro-climatic/ecological setting. Require mandatory, multi-season yield verification against modern, competitive alternatives to guarantee tangible net financial returns for farmers.
• Sovereign Seed Security: Promote equitable licensing, competitive markets, and structural redressal mechanisms to safeguard smallholder autonomy and ensure GM-organic coexistence.
• Consultative National Policy: Formulate a statutory national framework by synthesising independent scientific consensus with active state-level and farmer stakeholder inputs.

Thus, domestic research can align crop development with Indian agroclimatic conditions and reduce reliance on imported technologies. Improved varieties may strengthen oilseed productivity and farm incomes, provided benefits are established under actual cultivation conditions. 

Prelims Practice MCQ:

Q1. With reference to agricultural biotechnology in India, consider the following statements:

1. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is the apex body for approving the commercial release of GM crops.
2. Under India’s current biosafety regulatory guidelines, Site-Directed Nucleases (SDN-1 and SDN-2) genome-edited crops are exempted from the rigorous multi-layered environmental safety assessments required for transgenic GMOs.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2 

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 

Answer: (b) 2 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The GEAC is the apex regulatory body, but it functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), not the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• Statement 2 is correct: According to India’s regulatory guidelines, genome-edited plants falling under SDN-1 and SDN-2 categories (which do not introduce foreign DNA) are exempted from biosafety assessment by GEAC, distinguishing them from transgenic crops.

UPSC PYQ 2014

Q. Consider the following techniques/ phenomena

1.  Budding and grafting in fruit plants

2.  Cytoplasmic male sterility

3. Gene silencing

Which of the above is/are used to create transgenic crops?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 1 and3

(d) None

Answer: (b)

Mains Practice Question: 

Q. “While agricultural biotechnology offers potent solutions to India’s dual challenges of climate resilience and nutritional security, its adoption remains mired in regulatory and socio-ecological anxieties.” Critically evaluate this in light of recent developments in genome-edited crops in India. 

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