Gagging scientists is a lousy idea

Science needs to be open; the silencing of experts by the Modi regime on critical issues is against the public interest

WHEN DEEPAK Pental’s highly contested genetically modified (GM) mustard, dmh-11, was approved for environmental release in late 2022 after being in cold storage for many years, there was a furore. This was predictable, since the question of using genetically modified seeds for food crops is far from being settled. India’s farmers, proponents of sustainable agriculture, consumers and, most importantly, scientists, had challenged the technology and won a significant battle against the introduction of GM Bt brinjal or eggplant more than a decade ago.

That was in 2010, when then environment minister Jairam Ramesh heeded countrywide protests and imposed a moratorium on the release of Bt brinjal, citing inadequate environmental risk assessment tests as the major reason for his decision. Nothing has changed in India’s regulatory framework since then. So it was not surprising that the clearance granted to Pental’s GM mustard would provoke strong protests, more so over concerns that it is herbicide-tolerant, since it is based on the bar- barnase-barstar system. Scientists, all of them with expertise in several advanced disciplines of biology, plant breeding and environmental science, wrote open letters warning of the dangers of such a crop. These are not new concerns; they were raised earlier as well. In fact, the Supreme Court is hearing a petition against the release of dmh-11 and has sought more details on it.