GMO Case Hearing In Supreme Court + Biodiversity + Development Issues

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In This NEWS Bulletin ******************************** On GMOs & Biodiversity - 1. SC hearing on GM crops ban this week 2. The bio-diversity Act is progressive, but not fool-proof 3. North-eastern states chalk out road map for economic, infrastructure development 4. Despite bumper harvest, wheat imports planned to raise buffer 5. Muslims seek to make good use of welfare plans ---- SC hearing on GM crops ban this week http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=163374 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online: Monday, May 07, 2007 at 0000 hours IST NEW DELHI, MAY 6: The biotech industry has appealed to the Supreme Court to vacate its ban order on fresh approval of genetically modified (GM) crops. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan is slated to hear the industry’s

petition on May 8. The apex court, in the course of its hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Aruna Rodrigues, PV Satheesh and others on September 22, 2006, had directed the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) not to clear any GM crop for fresh field trials. Earlier on May 1, 2006, it had also said the GEAC and not the Review Committee for Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) under the department of biotechnology should be responsible for field trials and approval of GM crops. “We have filed an impleadment application in the Supreme Court for vacation of the ban order,’’ said RK Sinha, executive director of All India Crop Biotechnology Association (AICBA). Sinha is also the executive director of National Seeds Association of India, a body formed with the merger of AICBA and three seed industry bodies. Sinha said, “There is no other options before the country, but to

adopt transgenic technology in agriculture. Agriculture land is shrinking and we need to grow more as the population is rising. Transgenic technology will help bail us out of this situation.” He said Bt cotton had benefited farmers by raising their levels of income and reducing their costs of farming. Sinha said apart from AICBA, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, University of Delhi and Dharwad University had also sought vacation of the ban order. On the other side, farmers’ organisations led by Bharat Krishak Samaj have filed an impleadment supporting the PIL for a moratorium on GM crops. The All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) has filed an impleadment expressing concerns over the possibility of export prospects being damaged on account of genetic contamination due to GM crops. AIREA has urged that a tough regulatory regime and adequate biosafety measures are put in place before final

approval. Speaking to FE, Prashant Bhushan, who is the advocate for the petitioner, Aruna Rodgrigues, said, “The government has not yet disclosed the locations of trials relating to 91 applicants. It has not also complied with the court’s order of February, 2007 which called for bio-safety reports of field trials. The department of bio-technology has not given us toxicity data on transgenic rice, okra, brinjal and mustard, despite the verdict of the Central Information Commission.” In reply, the government has claimed that “it has put in place a stringent regulatory regime” for ensuring health and environment safety, and has appealed for either removal or modification of the ban order. On the safety aspect, the government said in its reply, “It is pertinent to mention that no scientific technological development may be attained in any country,

developed or under developed, without taking calculated risks and chances. As a matter of routine, tests are conducted, many of them fail, some leave behind adverse effects, but still such tests continue to be conducted in the interest of development. It is impossible to eliminate all hazards connected with technological development. However, all precautions are taken to minimise the adverse effects which may follow.” The bio-diversity Act is progressive, but not fool-proof http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=162637 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online: Monday, April 30, 2007 at 0000 hours IST NEW DELHI, APR 29 : Village local bodies (panchayats) and community representatives from the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Meghalaya have submitted over 3,000 resolutions to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing serious concerns our implementation of bio-diversity legislation, and in particular the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004 by state governments. Though the Act itself describes the communities as “conserver and preservers” of biodiversity, the Rules delineating the provisions of the Act limit the power and function of the very same communities to only documentation of their resources and knowledge, with no legal provision to exercise control over what is documented, they said. India’s bio-diversity is severely threatened; wildlife populations, traditional cultures, geological cycles, and a range of other attributes are being destroyed due to increasing over exploitation for trade both at national and global levels, the resolutions pointed out. India enacted a Biological Diversity Act in 2002 in pursuance with its obligation to the global Convention on Biological Diversity. The Biological Diversity Act 2002, is a law meant to achieve three main objectives—the conservation of biodiversity; the sustainable use of biological resources; equity in sharing benefits from such use of resources. The Act had received mixed responses; as it did contain some progressive provisions towards ensuring community control over bio-diversity. However, the issuance of the Biological

Diversity Rules 2004 reduced the role of the Biodiversity Management Committees to be established at village levels to being mere data providers. This received severe response and criticism from different sections of civil society and community representatives as they felt that such Rules would simply place a vast mass of people all over the country, mainly tribals, farming communities, indigenous people, fisherfolk, pastoralists at the mercy of a centralised or state level system of the management of biodiversity through the National Bio-diversity Authority (NBA) at Chennai and State Biodiversity Boards at state levels. The NBA oversees access to biological resources, their commercial utilisation, transfer of rights of research, and intellectual property rights related to bio-diversity. Foreign institutions and companies are required to seek approval of the NBA for access while Indian companies or institutions are required only to intimate the NBA of their bio resource usage, thereby placing an unjustified trust in Indian corporates and institutions, knowing Indians (especially industrial corporations) are not necessarily any more responsible towards the environment or towards local communities, also some Indian companies could just be local fronts for foreign enterprises. Nowhere in this figures the role of the communities whose lives are entwined with biodiversity around them, be it through culture, religion or for basic sustenance. What it is critical to note is that most of NBA's work seems to be on processing applications for access to biodiversity and/or research work. There is little attention to the conservation and sustainable use in the provisions of the Act. The

Panchayats and other local institutions have come together for the second time as part of the Campaign for Community Control over Biodiversity and sent their resolutions to the Prime Minister. Several Gram Panchayats from all across the country had sent resolutions to the Union Minister of Environment and Forests in 2004, soon after the Biological Diversity Rules were enacted. Representatives had also met the environment minister, A Raja and submitted a memorandum in December 2004. However, no action was taken. Panchayats have for the last 3-4 months come together again and this time sent resolutions to the Prime Minister clearly stating they will not cooperate in any of the activities of either the NBA or the SBBs unless their

demands are recognized. They have urged that the control over all aspects of local biodiversity and related knowledge must be with the local communities, with government departments helping us to tackle the threats that these face from destructive development and commercial forces. Traditional knowledge is our heritage and is not for sale. Documentation of local resources and traditional know-how ought to be voluntary in any form and manner as the community decides, and needs to be legally protected against misuse by outsiders. NBA, SBBs and all relevant government institutions must recognize existing social formations and customary groups that are the real biodiversity managers, and empower gram sabhas or village

councils to decide on whether or not to set up new Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs). Local people's access to biodiversity and its benefits, and the sharing of these benefits amongst local communities, must be given priority over and above commercial trade. - North-eastern states chalk out road map for economic, infrastructure development http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=161949 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online: Monday, April 23, 2007 at 0056 hours IST NEW DELHI, APR 22: Chief ministers of the north-eastern states have drawn up road maps to boost not only the region’s industry, but also the rural economy. The north-eastern leaders urged for more emphasis on infrastructure development with a view to integrating their economy with the rest of the country, as well as with neighbouring Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. North-eastern India consists of eight

states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Tripura is the second largest rubber producing state in the country. According to state minister for industries, commerce & information technology Tapan Chakraborty, about 35,000 hectares are under plantation and about 18,000 tonne rubber are produced annually. He urged entrepreneurs to set up rubber-based industries. The state government has launched a rubber mission and has planned a rubber park with all common facilities. The state government has also launched a bamboo mission with the expectation for further investment in export-oriented cane and bamboo handicrafts. Tripura produces major fruit crops like pineapple, orange, jackfruit, litchi and spices like ginger, turmeric, chilli, black pepper and cinnamon, with ample scope for setting up of processing unit, said Chakraborty and added that the state produces about 7.8 million kg tea each year. Tripura has set up growth centre project on the outskirts of the state capital—Agartala. Infrastructure at land customs stations for trade with Bangladesh is being upgraded. The state is power-surplus, outside 6-hour peak period and the power tariffs are among the lowest in the country. There is a long-term

potential for exploration of natural gas and the state announced an information technology (IT) policy with special incentives to the industry concerned. The Meghalaya chief minister, DD Lapang is also eager to boost trade relations with Bangladesh. He said that his state produces citrus fruits, flowers, spices, bamboo, boulders and has good reserves of coal, limestone, clay, granite and quartz. Byrnihat railhead has become a hub of industrial activity with setting up of an export promotional industrial park. Two

railhead projects are being proposed at Kasi and Garo hills. A scheme is under implementation to connect Garo hills with Umroi airport in Shillong. The state has industrial estate in all district headquarters. Lapang said “The state government is acquiring 182 hectare land at Mendipathar in East Garo Hills for setting up of an industrial growth center. There is great scope for IT industry, tourism and traditional medicines.” Mizoram governor MM Lakhera said the state is backward in terms of infrastructure

development, yet there are distinct prospects for boosting trade relations with Myanmar. Mizoram has potential for generating around 3,100 mw hydro power, on river Chhimtuipur alone it is estimated to generate around 530 mw power. The state has prospects for industries based on electronic, IT, bamboo, timber, fruits, textiles, handloom and handicrafts, plantain fibre, hill brooms, tea, rubber, coffee and minerals. Nagaland governor K Shankarnarayan also projected prospects for hydro power generation and pointed to the rich deposits of coal, dolomite, limestone, graphite, marble, lead, zinc, natural gas and crude oil alongwith scope for food processing and tourism industry. Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh complained about shortage of power in the state and hoped that the situation will be made better on the completion of some power projects. A food park is being set near Imphal. He urged for boosting trade relations with Myanmar. Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio called for marketing of high quality organic fibreless ginger, turmeric passion fruits, banana, citrus, pineapple produced in the state. He said Nagaland produces hottest chilli, tallest rice plant and the tallest Rhododendron. Nagaland has a good reserves of chemical grade

limestone, coal, marble, decorative stones, nickel cobalt chromium and bamboo. Exotic flowers grown in the state are finding ready markets outside the country. Sikkim has come out with its new industrial policy. The state is a major source for timber, forest produces, copper, zinc, lead, coal, dolmite. Quartzite, graphite and talc main crops grown are rice, wheat, maize, large cardamom and ginger. It has potential for hydro power generation. -------------------------------- Despite bumper harvest,

wheat imports planned to raise buffer http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=163322 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online: Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 0026 hours IST NEW DELHI, MAY 5: The government plans to import up to 5 million tonne wheat this year despite a bumper production. The imports would be done to build up the buffer stock. Formulation of a contract farming policy is on the anvil to ensure that the farmers' land are not leased out or sold to corporate houses for cultivation. At the sidelines of a workshop on contract farming in Capital on Saturday, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said: "If needed we may import about 3 to 5 million tonne wheat this year to build up our buffer stock for meeting any exigency like unfavourable monsoon." He said the purchase of wheat from farmers will continue even next month as harvesting has slowed down because farmers are adopting manual techniques to get more straw which has a good demand this year. Inaugurating the workshop, Pawar said that the government through the formulation of a new policy document would ensure that the ownership of the land would rest with the farmers, in case of any type of contract farming. The workshop was organised y the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and US Department of Agriculture under the programme of India-US Agriculture Knowledge Initiative. --- Muslims seek to make good use of welfare plans http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=160587 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online : Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 0000 hours IST JAIPUR, APR 9: A section of the Muslim intelligensia feels that the community has performed well in terms of literacy in certain states, mostly on its own efforts. They called upon Muslims to take advantage of the government’s welfare schemes in promoting literacy and employment

opportunities. Delivering his keynote address at a seminar here in Jaipur on ‘Negligence and Responsibility of the Government and the Community’, the rector of Jamea-Tul-Hidaya, Maulana Hohammed Faziur Rahim Mujaddidi said: “Muslims have performed well in districts where they are comparatively less in population. The literacy rate in South India is better than most of the Muslim-populated districts in UP. In Andhra, the number of school dropouts have reduced due to efforts of NGOs, while in West Bengal, the number of school dropouts among Muslim children is a matter of grave concern.” Mujaddidi pointed out another paradox saying despite a good literacy rate amongst Muslims in Gujarat, the dropouts from primary and secondary

schools was more – second largest in the country. He said that the allegation of appeasement of Muslims by the government was baseless. The Muslims did not receive adequate support from the government in matters of support for education and employment. Most of the achievements made by Muslims were due to community support. In some case the Muslim literacy rate were higher than the schedule castes and tribes, he said. Mujaddidi quipped if Kerala and Karnataka could give reservations quota for Muslims under OBC category, why can’t other states follow the suit. If there can be reservations for Sikhs and neo-Buddhists, then why not for Muslims and Christians, he said. The deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, K Rahman Khan alleged that political leadership and bureaucracy have underscored the spirit of the Constitution. Referring to Articles 15 and 16, he said “We need to fight for justice and equality.” The conference was attended by other

noted scholars from the Muslim community. -----------------------

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