PAU defends GM maize trials, says its only for research

Time of India

15-07-2025

Ludhiana: In the wake of opposition from NGOs over field trials of genetically modified (GM) maize in Punjab at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the varsity defended its decision to proceed with research trials.
The university clarified that it was not releasing GM maize for commercial use but only conducting scientific research, as per its institutional mandate and SOPs outlined by the department of biotechnology.
The GM maize in question has been developed by agri-science company, Bayer. The crop has been genetically engineered with both herbicide-tolerant (HT) and insect-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) traits.
Bayer applied to the Government of India's department of biotechnology for permission to conduct bio-safety trials under the statutory review committee on genetic manipulation (RCGM). The trials are being conducted in accordance with biosafety research level I (BRL-I) which are preliminary and advanced level II (BRL-II) norms.
Environmentalists, along with a coalition of GM Free India, have raised serious objections to the Punjab government issuing the NoC for genetically modified maize trials.
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The coalition has written to the Punjab agriculture minister, urging him to immediately institute an inquiry into the scientific basis on which such an NoC was issued and sought its withdrawal.
Trying to quell criticism, PAU vice-chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal clarified that the university was not releasing GM maize for cultivation and had no role in its commercialisation. "We are not releasing this crop. That is the job of the government.
PAU is only carrying out scientific research. Our mandate is to test and evaluate new technologies in agriculture so that policy makers, farmers, and society can make informed decisions based on science, not speculation," he said.
NGOs against GM-free crops have expressed apprehensions of potential long-term ecological and health consequences of the adoption of GM crops. They have demanded a halt to all trials after Punjab government issued NoC for trials last month.
However, PAU asserted that such assessments could not be made without data.
"We cannot say whether any new crop, GM or not, is good or bad unless we research it," Dr Gosal said. "These are controlled, limited research trials under strict regulatory frameworks of the department of biotechnology," he added.
Before the trials began, the project was reviewed and cleared by a Punjab-level committee consisting of officials from the Punjab department of agriculture, Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, biotechnology incubator, state health department and PAU scientists.
The committee examined all safety protocols and agreed that the trials could be conducted under strict monitoring adhering to the norms.
PAU officials stressed that the university has a long record of research on transgenic crops and has been evaluating GM crops, including BT cotton.
Officials also pointed to the university's rejection of nano urea, a product that was widely promoted by all sections, including the central government.
"We tested nano urea in our research fields and found it ineffective in Punjab's soil and crop conditions. We did not recommend it. Now, even the central government is rethinking it. That shows the importance of independent, university-led research," the vice-chancellor said.
More than 30 countries, including the United States and Canada are growing GM crops. In India, BT cotton, despite initial opposition and widespread myths, has now been widely adopted and accounts for majority of cotton cultivation.
"There were stories that animals died after eating BT cotton leaves. But none of those were proven scientifically. Today, BT cotton is key crop in agriculture," Dr Gosal said, adding, "We are trying to avoid repeating the same cycle of myth-based panic. We must let data speak. A growing number of farmers in Punjab have been informally demanding more advanced BT varieties such as BT 3 and BT 4, citing growing resistance to older versions.
"If farmers are demanding solutions, we must investigate them scientifically first," he said.