Monday 13 February 2012 Government 2.0: The Road Ahead
Top farm research institute backs Bt Brinjal

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Director HS Gupta said it will be a step forward in the direction of food security

New Delhi: The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the top government-run research institution, supported the introduction of Bt Brinjal and said it will be a step forward in the direction of food security.

"When any new technology comes, we need to have an open mind. If we do not use new technology now, we will stay behind," IARI Director HS Gupta told reporters in reply to a question on his institute's stand on Bt Brinjal, reports IANS.

He said the area under agriculture is almost static for the last 40 years but the population is growing faster. To feed nearly 120 crore people, "we should not miss this technology," Gupta said.

Squarely blaming Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, Gupta said there should have been a fair consultation with all stake-holders.

He said while the scientists appreciate the environment minister's consultations with farmers, they should have been consulted equally.

"I am working in the field for 25 years. I believe, I understand it better that many. If the Americans can eat Bt Corn, why cannot we have Bt Brinjal?" he argued.

The IARI is under the Ministry of Agriculture. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has openly backed Bt Brinjal, which Ramesh has put under temporary moratorium.
 

Post new comment

Content limited to 50 characters, remaining: 50
Content limited to 1500 characters, remaining: 1500
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
 
Todays Main News »

Sign up for your free email iGovernment newsletter