Having allowed commercial-scale planting of genetically modified cotton and announced plans to introduce half a dozen genetically modified (GM) crop plants in the next two years (Nat. Biotechnol. 20, 415, 2002), India has started to champion the adoption of GM technology among other Asian countries. In late May, the Indian government, with support from the regional office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (a United Nations–recognized intergovernmental body), brought 18 Asian countries to a conference in New Delhi, where the countries formed an alliance to deal with all issues surrounding the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the region.
Indian science minister Bachi Singh Rawat, who opened the conference, noted that India “would like to see the development of regional programs that strengthen this part of the world significantly in the handling of GMOs.” Rawat said many countries in the region do not have access to GMOs in their public sector outfits and hence “are not feeling encouraged to apply this technology with confidence.” Because of this, “there is a strong need to upgrade capabilities of individual countries to not only develop their own technologies but also to create competence for the assessment of risks and benefits on sound scientific basis.”
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