Jai Anusandhan – The New Age of Indian Agri-Innovation

India a land of Farmers where agriculture is the largest employer focused on “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” to “Jai Vigyan”. The latest being “Jai Anusandhan”—Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for innovation, backed by a ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development, Innovation fund (RDI).

What Are Genetically Modified Crops?

Genetically modified (GM) crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering techniques. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species like resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, herbicides etc. GM crops are also referred to as genetically engineered (GE) plants, transgenic crops, living modified organisms (LMOs) or biotech crops.

Key Objectives of GM crops are:

• Resisting pests & diseases (e.g., Bt cotton for bollworm)
• Climate resilience (drought, salinity, etc.)
• Increase nutritional value (Golden Rice for Vitamin A)
• Reduce chemical use and cost
• Genetic modification is also done for production of pharmaceuticals, biofuels etc.

Benefits of the GM Crops:

• Higher Yields & Farmer Incomes: Bt cotton in India. After its 2002 approval, cotton yields almost doubled in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. 
• Lower Input Costs: In Madhya Pradesh, farmers saw a drop in pesticide spending by up to ₹2,000 per acre after switching to Bt cotton 
• Reduced Pesticide Use: Lower requirement of chemical pesticides, minimizing health and environmental risks.- Vidarbha, a region famous for farmer suicides, Bt cotton led to 60% fewer pesticide sprays, farmers had fewer pesticide-related illnesses. 
• Improved Export Competitiveness:  Crops with better shelf life and nutritional content- By 2012, India became the world’s second-largest cotton exporter, thanks mainly to GM adoption. 
• Climate Resilience (Potential): a classic case study in Africa, drought-tolerant GM maize is now a lifeline for small farmers. 
• Nutritional Benefits: While not yet in Indian markets, the Philippines released “Golden Rice” in 2021 to tackle child blindness caused by Vitamin A deficiency.GM crops can target “hidden hunger” 
• Potential for climate resilience: Development of drought or salinity-tolerant varieties. 

• Boost to Food Security: Bt cotton’s success story in India shows how GM crops can improve national yields and reduce imports. 

Status of GM Crops: India and the World 

• World:
  Over 200 million hectares globally (2023), in 76 countries. Top crops: GM soybean, maize, cotton, canola. 
• India: 
  • Bt Cotton: Only GM crop commercially approved (since 2002); now covers 90%+ of India’s cotton area. 
  • Bt Brinjal: Cleared by GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) in 2009, but commercial use halted by government moratorium. 
  • GM Mustard (DMH-11): Given conditional environmental clearance in 2022, but facing court and state-level hurdles. 
  • Other GM crops (like rice, maize): Not approved. 

Status of GM Crops in India

Crop	Status	Area Covered	Notes
Bt Cotton	Approved (2002)	90% of cotton	Only GM crop grown commercially
Bt-Brinjal	Cleared (2009, blocked)	Nil	Moratorium, grown in Bangladesh
GM Mustard	Conditional (2022)	Nil	Awaiting full clearance

 

Case study of Bt Cotton:
Pros–

• Production Surge: Output rose from 13.6 million bales (2002-03) to nearly 40 million (2013-14). 
• Income Boost: Gujarat’s cotton farmers experienced ~8% agri GDP growth. 
• Exports: India was the world’s 2nd largest exporter by 2011-12, netting $4.1 billion. 

Issues-

• Yield Stagnation: Since 2015, yields declined to 436 kg/ha (2023–24), well below China (1,945 kg/ha). Mainly due to pest resistance (pink bollworm) and lack of newer GM seeds. 
• Illegal Seeds: Herbicide-tolerant (HT) Bt cotton is not approved, but 15–25% of fields in Gujarat and Telangana use “grey market” seeds, which causes regulatory burden. 
• Policy Confusion: the 2015 price control order had slashed seed royalties, which pushed away the global biotech investment. 

Issues of GM Crops

• Pest Resistance Emerges: After a decade of Bt cotton’s introduction, the pink bollworm returned in Maharashtra—which shows that pests can adapt if seed innovation stalls. 
• Farmer Dependence on Companies: Farmers need to buy new seeds each year from companies like Monsanto (now Bayer) due to one time use and terminator seeds , reducing traditional seed-saving culture. 
• Loss of Biodiversity: GM adoption may push out local crop varieties—seen in the US Midwest’s declining maize diversity. It can also promote mono-culture due to potential benefits. 
• Regulatory Grey Zones: Unapproved HT cotton is widely used. This legal loophole exposes farmers to market risk, as seeds may be seized or crops destroyed with no legal remedy available. 
• Public & Health Concerns: NGOs and citizen groups many times cite the 2009 Bt brinjal controversy—no clear long-term human safety data led to a government moratorium, despite expert clearance.

Regulatory Challenges 

• Lengthy, Opaque Approval Process: Bt Brinjal was cleared by GEAC in 2009 after extensive field trials, but political and activist pressure led to a nationwide moratorium—a classic policy flip-flop.
  
• Multiple Regulatory Bodies- GEAC under the Environment Ministry, RCGM under DBT, and state governments all have a say—slowing things down. For GM mustard, Supreme Court cases and conflicting state stances have delayed rollout for years. 
• Proliferation of Illegal Seeds: Farmers in Gujarat, Telangana, and Andhra use HT-Bt cotton even though it’s technically illegal which highlights a gap between policy and field realities. 
• Discouraged Innovation: The 2015 Cotton Seed Price Control Order capped trait fees, making it unviable for big biotech firms to invest in R&D for India. 
• Lack of Awareness & Trust:
  During the Bt brinjal hearings, most of the public submissions were against GM crops, largely out of fear or lack of info—yet, Bangladesh’s successful Bt brinjal rollout just next door shows the value of transparency. 

Prelims Fact Sheet

Point	Details
Only GM Crop Approved	Bt cotton
Bt Cotton Brand Names	Bollgard I, Bollgard II (contain one or two Bt genes respectively; developed by Monsanto)
Year of Bt Cotton Approval	2002
Pending GM Crops	Bt brinjal (moratorium since 2010), GM Mustard (DMH-11, awaiting final clearance)
Regulator	Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), under MoEFCC
Key Law	Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
Term for GMOs	Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)—as per the Cartagena Protocol
Main Pest Targeted (Bt cotton)	Bollworm (esp. American bollworm, pink bollworm, spotted bollworm)
PYQ Example	“Which body approves commercial release of GM crops in India?” (Ans: GEAC, Prelims 2020)
PYQ on GM Cotton	“Bollgard I and II technologies are associated with which crop?” (Ans: Cotton, Prelims 2019)
Other GM Crops Cultivated Globally	Soybean, Maize, Canola, Potato, Tomato, Golden Rice
GM Mustard Name	DMH-11 (developed by Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants, DU)
International Protocol	Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (regulates transboundary movement of GMOs)

 

Solutions & The Way Forward 

1. Transparent, Science-Based Regulation: Streamline the GM crop approval process; make field trial data public. 
2. Pilot Projects with Stakeholder Involvement: Roll out new GM crops in select zones as pilot projects with strong monitoring and farmer feedback. 
3. Update Policy to Encourage Innovation: Revisit seed price controls and allow trait fees that incentivize R&D. 
4. Stronger Enforcement Against Illegal Seeds: Combine better enforcement with farmer education—don’t just seize seeds, explain the risks. 
5. Awareness & Public Dialogue: Run national campaigns (in local languages and platforms like radio /FM) debunking myths about GM crops, sharing field data, and explaining technical details. 
6. Integrate GM with Climate-Smart Agriculture: we must not treat GM and organic as two bipolar products; rather we must use each with the most effectiveness. 

Conclusion

We can say that the future in farming depends on how India embraces “Jai Anusandhan” and smart agricultural practices like GM crops , climate resilient agriculture, precision farming etc. By promoting transparent rules and policy implementation, India can boost food security, farmer incomes, and climate resilience—directly supporting SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). These can make India a global leader in this space.