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Correspondence

Nature 419, 667 (17 October 2002) | doi:10.1038/419667b

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Indian biotech sets a constitutional challenge

Bhagirath Choudhary1

  1. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies, Pusa Gate, Dr K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012, India

Immediately after publication of your News story "Transgenic cotton gets mothballed after protests" (Nature 418, 716; 2002), the agriculture minister of Karnataka retracted the state's ban on Bt cotton seeds on the grounds that only the central government can make such a decision (The Hindu, 16 August 2002). The state can advise central government on whether to impose a ban, if evidence can be shown of adverse impact on animal (including human) and plant health.