Need for balanced regulatory system to promote use of bio-tech in farm sector: ICAR DG

New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General ML Jat has stressed the need for a balanced regulatory system to facilitate the safe use of modern biotechnologies in the farm sector for achieving food and nutritional security.

According to a statement by the Agriculture Ministry on Sunday, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), in collaboration with ICAR, and the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), organised a high-level roundtable on "Reforms in Regulations and Approval of Genetically Modified (GM) and Genome-Edited (GE) Crop Plants".

More than 80 participants, including policymakers, agricultural scientists, regulators, industry leaders, economists, and international experts, took part in this roundtable to discuss ways to modernise India's agricultural biotechnology regulatory framework.


JAT, who is also Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) in the agriculture ministry, reiterated ICAR's steadfast commitment to advancing science-led, evidence-based agricultural innovation.

He also emphasised the need for a "balanced regulatory system that facilitates the safe deployment of modern biotechnologies to achieve food and nutritional security, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural growth".

The roundtable was co-chaired by TAAS Chairman RS Paroda and Rasi Seeds Founder Chairman M Ramasami.

India has established a comprehensive multi-tiered regulatory framework for transgenic crops under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Rules, 1989, the Agriculture Ministry said in the statement.

At present, the regulatory ecosystem involves multiple competent authorities, including Institutional Biosafety Committees; the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation under the Department of Biotechnology; the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI); ICAR and other concerned ministries and state governments.

"Nonetheless, rapid advances in genome-editing technologies, including CRISPR-CAS-based systems, evolving global regulatory practices and the growing need for climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture necessitate a review and modernisation of India's regulatory framework for GM and GE crops," the statement said.

The roundtable meeting was held to develop a roadmap for efficient approvals of GM/GE crops.

In the inaugural session of the meeting, TAAS Secretary Bhag Mal underscored the urgent need to modernise India's regulatory framework in view of climate change, food and nutritional security, sustainable agriculture, and rapid advances in biotechnology.

During the event, CD Mayee, President, South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), talked about the imperative for regulatory reforms; Rhodora Romero-Aldemita, Executive Director, ISAAA Inc, spoke on global developments and harmonisation of regulatory frameworks; and Graham Brookes, Agricultural Economist, PG Economics Ltd, UK, presented evidence on the economic benefits of GM and genome-edited crops worldwide.

"The roundtable called for a science-based, transparent, efficient, and risk-proportionate regulatory framework with streamlined, time-bound approval processes accessible to both public and private innovators," the statement said.

The participants also emphasised that timely adoption of safe GM and GE crops would be vital for enhancing yields, increasing farmer incomes, and making Indian agriculture globally competitive.