The Supreme Court of India has recently heard pleas advocating for a moratorium on the release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment. A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol heard submissions from key figures, including Attorney General R Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior advocate Sanjay Parikh. The court has reserved its order on the matter, directing the involved parties to submit written arguments by January 22.

Recognizing the complexity of the issue, the apex court emphasized the technical and scientific nature of genetically modified crops during the hearing on Wednesday. It declared its intention to base the decision on what is in the best interest of the country.

This development follows the court's earlier questioning of the Centre regarding the oversight of reports from the court-appointed Technical Experts Committee (TEC) on biosafety of genetically modified (GM) crops.

The court specifically queried Attorney General R Venkataramani about whether the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) or any sub-committee of experts had considered the TEC reports before approving the environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 on October 25, 2022. Venkataramani clarified that, as a statutory body, the GEAC is not required to directly delve into these reports but assured that it had taken into account all relevant scientific findings before granting approval for the environmental release.

The current legal proceedings stem from separate pleas filed by activist Aruna Rodrigues and the NGO 'Gene Campaign.' Both entities are urging the court to impose a moratorium on the release of any GMOs into the environment until a comprehensive, transparent, and rigorous biosafety protocol is established through independent expert assessments conducted in the public domain.