GM mustard: govt refutes charges of scientists fudging data

The Union environment ministry on Monday denied allegations of scientists doctoring their data, while submitting their application on Genetically Modified (GM) mustard for the government’s consideration for commercial release.

“No data manipulation has been noticed in the documents made available by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation and Crop Plants, University of Delhi South Campus, for safety assessment of genetically engineered mustard,” Environment Minister Anil Dave informed the Rajya Sabha.

The indigenous GM crop is facing stern opposition from  activists, who are lobbying hard to block its marketing approval. They claimed that scientists rigged the trial data to claim higher yield for the GM mustard.

The charges were refuted by the researchers who stated that since the field trials were conducted under the supervision of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), they could not fudge the data.

“All the field data has been generated and submitted by the ICAR under its All India Coordinated Research Project  on rapeseed mustard,” Dave said in a written answer, responding to a query from CPM member K K Ragesh.

Countering another argument from anti-GM activists, who claimed that GM mustard carried herbicide tolerant traits, Dave said there was no proposal to introduce herbicide tolerant crops.

“GE Mustard is assessed through a step-by-step process for safety assessment. A detailed Assessment of Food and Environmental Safety document was placed on the (environment) ministry’s website inviting comments from all stakeholders, including the state governments, for 30 days. However, no specific time frame for its commercial release has been stipulated,” he said.