Alarmed at the possible ill effects commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal could have to their traditional Brinjal crop, villagers at a gram panchayat in Kerala have launched a campaign to showcase their varieties to the world, distributing seedlings to households in the area and highlghting its 'medicinal' effects.
Data on clinical trials of genetically-modified brinjal have been made public by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee of the environment ministry.
Rajbaris are a link to Bengal's rich past, of grand mansions, classical fine dining, and allow guests to be pretend zamindars for those few hours or days that they stay.
During his month-long tour, Ramesh would seek views from scientists, agriculture experts, farmers' organisations, consumer groups and non-government organisations on the report submitted by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee on Bt brinjal in October.
Even as the country awaits the final word on genetically modified brinjal, seed company Monsanto is moving ahead with new products.
The moratorium imposed on Bt brinjal last year is likely to continue, despite the expert committee, set up by the environment ministry, favouring "limited release" of the crop.
Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Monday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government's policies for the price rise and accused it of ignoring the plight of common people, saying kitchens will soon "see a lockdown" if the Centre does not take corrective measures.
Bt brinjal is a genetically-modified vegetable which is infused with Cry1Ac gene from a bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis to make the plant resistant to the fruit and shoot borers and certain pests.
The ministry of environment and forests, according to documents available on its website, had set up a Bt brinjal Technical Review Committee early in 2007.
Bacillus Thuringiensis Brinjal, popularly known as Bt brinjal, is at the centre of a major controversy in India.
Their representatives joined hands on Wednesday at a conference called in Kerala by the state government and called their united stand the second war of Indian independence.
Continuing the downward trend, retail inflation fell to a five-month low of 4.31 per cent in January, mainly due to a decline in the prices of vegetables, eggs, and pulses. The Consumer Price Index-based retail inflation was 5.22 per cent in December and 5.1 per cent in January 2024. The previous low inflation was in August 2024 at 3.65 per cent.
Agriculture being a state subject, the Centre could not impose its policy on states, Madhya Pradesh agriculture minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria, who was in Thiruvananthapuram to attend a two-day national meet on genetically modified crops, told PTI.
Tomato prices soared to Rs 100 per kg in retail markets of the national capital on Saturday as adverse weather conditions in various parts of the country continue to affect supplies of the essential kitchen staple. Tomatoes are available at Rs 100 per kg at Mother Dairy's retail outlets, Safal, in the national capital.
Amid a raging debate over release of Bt brinjal for commercial use, Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday said genetically-tweaked variety of the vegetable was 'safe for all'.
The father of the Green Revolution explains how the genetically-modified version of brinjal may kill biodiversity.
Since this is an edible crop, it is even more important to ensure that there is no contamination of non-GM crops.
With his ministerial colleagues and experts expressing reservation on moratorium on Bt-brinjal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened a meeting of concerned ministers on the issue this week.
Environment Minsiter Jairam Ramesh will from Wednesday hold a series of public meetings across the country on the controversial Bt brinjal which was cleared by the country's bio-technology regulator last year for its commercial cultivation.
Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh was on Sunday gheraoed in Hyderabad by people opposed to the introduction of Bt Brinjal in the country.The protesters from Left-affiliated farmers' outfits and Swadeshi Jagaran Manch raised slogans like 'Bt Go Back' and mobbed the minister on the dais at an event organised at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture in Hyderabad.
A moratorium 'for now' on Bt brinjal is a healthy breathing space. It could still turn toxic if any one technology is pushed at the cost of a multi-dimensional approach to securing our food future, says Rajni Bakshi.
Mahyco confident of regulatory approvals, plans launch within a year.
While the moratorium on the commercial introduction of Bt brinjal will continue for now, it may not last indefinitely. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who addressed the issue among his combative ministerial colleagues this evening, is said to have asked for a swift assessment of all scientific and safety issues relating to the genetically-modified (GM) variety of the vegetable.
It may creep in via Bangladesh and Philippines, according to A R Reddy, co-chair of Genetic Engineering Approval (now Appraisal) Committee that approved the vegetable for commercial use.
The moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal, the genetically-modified form of the vegetable, is not likely to end anytime soon.
Never since the days of the Green Revolution in the 1970s has a food crop aroused the curiosity of the agriculture community as much as the country's first genetically modified vegetable, Bt brinjal has.
The Biocon chairman said there is a regulatory path for GM crops which aims to establish safety and efficacy over an accepted period and it has been diligently followed by Bt brinjal on the basis of which the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee has given its positive verdict.
Chicken cooked up in a charred masala is a rural Maharashtra treat and tastes divine with rice or bhakri.
The approval to genetically modified (Bt) brinjal seems to have been been given without adequately assessing long-term health risks, although with a stipulation that surveillance and long-term follow up should be conducted two conditions that experts are aware have not been fulfilled even in the case of some critical drugs.
Rediff.com's Hitesh Harisinghani joins the Patkar family as they say goodbye to Lord Ganesha.
'When there was a match, he would be up all night watching it on his laptop with Kishori Amonkarji singing on the side.'
The conversion of Indian farmers from traditional varieties and public hybrids to commercial hybrids and GM seeds could create a market larger than China.
Sharada Ajmera will whip up this smoky delight for anyone who'd like to tuck into it.
Kerala pumpkin curry has to be the best way to eat kadu. And ever tried an imli-ginger relish?
rediffGURU Dr Vinod Kumar offers advice on how to take care of your kidneys.
Sutta Kathirikkai goes well with idli, dosa, chapattis and even rice.
Here's a soup overflowing with flavours, textures and proteins.
A simple recipe to make nachos canapes at home.
An encyclopedia to the best Durga Pujo eating.
Go light before the festive mithai binge begins.
