India's GM Crop Regulatory Framework
India's regulatory architecture for genetically modified (GM) crops is among the most stringent in the world, involving multiple ministries and committees. The apex regulatory body is the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), which operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The regulatory framework is rooted in the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986, under which the 1989 Rules for GM organisms were framed.
- Bt cotton is the only GM crop approved for commercial cultivation in India — approved by GEAC in 2002 to combat bollworm infestation
- No GM food crop has received commercial cultivation approval. Bt brinjal received GEAC clearance in 2009 but was placed under moratorium by the government in 2010 following public opposition
- GM mustard (Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11) received GEAC environmental release approval in 2022 but has not been commercially released
- India recently approved two gene-edited rice varieties (using CRISPR-Cas9 technology) — Pusa DST Rice 1 and DRR Rice 100 (Kamala) — which are classified differently from transgenic GM crops under India's current regulatory framework
- Gene editing (SDN-1 and SDN-2 techniques) does not involve foreign DNA insertion and is treated under a separate, less stringent regulatory pathway
● Tracked since March 25, 2026 · last seen August 30, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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