Agricultural Biotechnology and Biosafety in India: Expectations, Outcomes and Lessons

The concept of ‘agricultural biotechnology’ covers two main categories of activities, one of which is characterised by genetic modification using recombinant DNA techniques (GM-technology), while the other involves no GM-technology. The ‘non-GM’ label applies to many techniques involving tissue culture, molecular diagnostics and DNA-marker aided selection, and the ‘GM’ label to genetic modification / genetic engineering, genomics and bioinformatics. But these are not watertight compartments. The boundary between the two is hazy. For instance, the tools of genomics and bioinformatics are being utilised in marker- aided breeding. This study restricts itself to the task of analysing and assessing the efforts to introduce, develop and commercialise genetically modified crops (GM-crops) in India and the outcome of those efforts.