Union Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday that cautious approach needed to be taken in the context of genetically modified (GM) crops and India cannot say ‘no’ to science.
Speaking at the launch of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) here, Mr. Javadekar said: “We have not said ‘no’ to science. Nobody can say no to science. Yes, we have to take proper caution, we have to take proper action. But you cannot deny it. We are not living in Galileo’s times. Galileo was telling the truth and he was punished. That was the worst day for the world.”
The event was organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in co-operation with the IPCC and the Climate Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), among others.
Mr. Javadekar said whichever country did not believe in science was doomed to fail and would be left behind. “The country that worships science cannot be left behind. India has chosen the path of science,” he said, without specifying clearly if the field trials of GM crops would be permitted.
Centre draws flak
Meanwhile, the Coalition for a GM-Free India condemned the government’s continued cold shoulder to scientific evidence and public concerns against open releases of GM crops, including those in the name of field trials.
Releasing its analysis of the 47 field trials of GM crops that have been approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the Coalition pointed to the unscientific and non-transparent way in which trials were being cleared. Besides, it said 72 per cent of those approved were from the private sector with 62 per cent from multinational seed corporations.