GEAC
Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
GEAC is the apex body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) responsible for approving the commercial release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in India. Established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, it functions through Rules 1989 (Rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro-Organisms, Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells).
- Established under: Rules 1989 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- Chaired by: Special Secretary/Additional Secretary, MoEFCC; co-chaired by a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
- Functions: Approves large-scale field trials, environmental release, and commercial cultivation of GMOs
- Other regulatory bodies in the GM framework: IBSC (Institutional Biosafety Committee), RCGM (Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation under DBT), and State Biotechnology Coordination Committees
- The Supreme Court-appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC, 2012) recommended a 10-year moratorium on field trials of Bt food crops; this recommendation was not fully adopted
- GEAC was earlier called the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee; renamed to "Appraisal" in 2010
● Tracked since February 10, 2026 · last seen June 23, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief