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Informist, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025
 
MUMBAI – India needs both genetically modified and gene-edited technologies but the only thing that should be weighed to approve any such technology is how farmers will benefit from it, the Hindu BusinessLine reported on Tuesday, quoting T. Mohapatra, chairman, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority. 

Addressing the two-day event 'DialogueNEXT', organised by the World Food Prize Foundation in partnership with the India Council of Agricultural Research and other organisations in New Delhi, Mohapatra said agricultural scientists need to interact with farmers before undertaking projects to ascertain how the research outcome would benefit them, the report said.

"Both (genetically modified and gene-editing) are exceedingly powerful technologies. When there is no gene in the plant, you can get it from anywhere and put it into the plant to express a trait... In contrast to the genetically modified approach, gene editing works where there is a resident gene but it has a malfunction. So, you can correct it. This is a targeted approach to change a gene sequence for the better," the report quoted Mohapatra as saying on the sidelines of the event. 

All that is done by a transgenic approach can also be done by gene editing, as it can be a resident gene from some other crop, which is edible, the report quoted Mohapatra as saying. Further, through gene editing using technologies other than SDN 1 and SDN 2, one can replace an existing gene with a better gene, Mohapatra added. A new gene can also be introduced using this method, he said.

The government recently approved two gene-edited rice varieties with the potential for better yield but they are yet to be released for commercial cultivation, the report said.

"Emerging global megatrends are posing complex challenges on agri-food systems, which need small-holder farmer-centric systematic solutions and their accelerated uptake," the report quoted Mangi Lal Jat, director general, Indian Council of Agricultural Research. This essentially needs greater investment in science, innovations and partnerships across discovery and delivery, the report quoted Jat as saying.  End

Compiled by Shreya Shetty
Filed by Akul Nishant Akhoury

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