The performance of the upcoming biotechnology regulatory authority of India (BRAI), would be supervised by an inter-ministerial governing board, even though the time frame in which the regulatory body would come up is not clear. This is a clear deviation from the previous stance, which conceptualised the setting up of the regulatory body under the direct control of the department of biotechnology. “The Bill provides for setting up of inter-ministerial governing...

No clarity on which authorities will be competent or which laws will be relevant: Ramesh He agrees with the compromise of Department of S&T as the nodal Ministry The Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) will only deal with the safety and efficacy aspects of biotech products, leaving the controversial commercialisation aspect hanging in the air, according to the latest version of the BRAI Bill, 2010. The Bill, which was supposed to be...

As the regulatory impasse continues after the sordid saga of the moratorium on Bt brinjal, another battle front has been opened by the anti-biotech activists demanding a complete withdrawal of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill. For them, they do not see anything good happening from any regulation that would facilitate safe deployment of modern biotech products. For them, “regulations” means “stop” or “kill” the technology. Anti-technology activists have...

Is India’s brand new Seed Bill capable of protecting the farmers' livelihoods? Or will it compromise their interest by allowing multinational seed companies to have a free run of the Indian seed market? The new Bill seeks to regulate the seed market and improve the quality of seeds as well as to harmonise and update the old policies in line with the current international practices for production, supply and for...

Misleading the public on safety of genetically modified crops or organisms without scientific evidence would not be made a punishable offence, the government has decided following concerns raised by some scientists and civil society groups. A relevant clause to this effect in the proposed Bill to set up the National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority has been dropped, government sources have told The Indian Express. The NBRA is being established to approve...