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Study finds unauthorised HTBt cotton on about 30 per cent of cotton area
खबर में क्यों?
Only one GM crop is legal in India, yet 30% of cotton area defies it: the GEAC question
About 30% of cotton area reportedly carries unapproved HTBt cotton; only Bt cotton is approved in India.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 मिनट
A study estimates that unauthorised herbicide-tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton makes up about 30 per cent of the cotton area.
Labour shortage and high weed-management costs are pushing farmers towards the unapproved seed.
Bt cotton is the only genetically modified crop approved for commercial cultivation in India, and GM crops are appraised by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee under the Environment Ministry.
स्रोत: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
मुख्य तथ्य
Remember these
- A study estimates unauthorised HTBt cotton covers about 30 per cent of India's cotton area.
- Bt cotton is the only genetically modified crop approved for commercial cultivation in India.
- GM crops are appraised by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Environment Ministry.
- Labour shortage and high weed-management costs are pushing farmers towards the unapproved herbicide-tolerant seed.
- HTBt cotton carries an added herbicide-tolerance gene on top of the Bt insect-resistance trait.
प्रीलिम्स · मेन्स
How the exam will ask it
प्रीलिम्स
- Bt cotton is the only genetically modified crop approved for commercial cultivation in India.
- The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and appraises proposals for environmental release of GM organisms.
- Herbicide-tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton has not been approved for commercial cultivation in India, so its cultivation is unauthorised.
- Bt cotton carries a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis that gives resistance to certain insect pests such as the bollworm.
मेन्स
GS-III (Agriculture; Science and Technology): the spread of unapproved HTBt seed shows a gap between regulation and farm realities such as labour shortage and weed-control costs. The GEAC appraisal route under the Environment (Protection) Act framework is meant to guard biosafety, but weak seed-market enforcement undermines it. The way forward lies in stronger seed surveillance, transparent science-based evaluation of herbicide-tolerant traits, and affordable weed-management options for farmers.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
In India, proposals for the environmental release of genetically modified crops are appraised by the:
- National Biodiversity Authority
- Central Insecticides Board
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research
- Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
उत्तर देखें
उत्तर: D — The correct answer is Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, appraises GM crops for environmental release.
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