A group of prominent agricultural scientists has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing serious concern over the recent announcement of genome-edited (GEd) rice lines by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), calling it premature and potentially harmful to India’s agricultural sovereignty and seed sector.
The letter, dated June 7 and issued by the Agriculture Scientists Manch—a collective of senior agricultural experts—warns that the May 4 event, where Union Agriculture Minister officially unveiled GEd rice lines developed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, bypassed necessary regulatory protocols and may jeopardize India's negotiating power with multinational companies (MNCs) holding crucial intellectual property rights (IPR) for the gene-editing technology.
The scientists, including former Vice Chancellor of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Agriculture University, Dr Sharad A. Nimbalkar, and Dr K.B. Wanjari, among 20 signatories, pointed out multiple risks associated with the current move.
They stated that the CRISPR-Cas9 system used in the rice lines is not indigenous, and commercial cultivation will require licensing from foreign universities or corporations. This could burden Indian farmers with costly seed inputs and erode national seed sovereignty.
They flagged the possibility of off-target mutations from gene editing and genetic contamination of existing rice varieties. This, they argue, could affect both India's food security and its lucrative $1.2 billion organic rice export market.
Drawing parallels with Bt cotton, the letter warns of a repeat of past mistakes. After Bt cotton's commercial release in 2002, farmers became reliant on MNCs for hybrid seeds, many of which later led to pest resistance, increased chemical inputs, and widespread farmer distress, including suicides.
According to the scientists, ICAR’s announcement sidestepped the Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC) protocol, which typically requires comprehensive multi-year testing before a variety is cleared for commercial use. ICAR’s own Director General reportedly admitted in a Business Standard interview (May 19) that the genome-edited rice lines still need five more years of evaluation.
The scientists argue that the fanfare surrounding the rice lines’ launch, especially with ministerial endorsement and media attention, undermines regulatory integrity and strengthens the hand of foreign IPR holders in future negotiations.
Calling the move "unethical, illegal, and undesirable," the Agriculture Scientists Manch has urged the Prime Minister to intervene and ensure proper scientific and legal protocols are followed. “India must not repeat the Bt cotton experience,” the letter concludes, emphasizing the need for caution before exposing Indian farmers to new technologies tied to foreign control.
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