Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
The row over transgenic crops in India is back. On 18 October, India’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) approved the evaluation, in open fields, of genetically modified (GM) mustard, a source of cooking oil — a key step on the path to commercial-scale cultivation. But a network of organizations that opposes GM crops is contesting the approval: hearings are scheduled to begin in India’s highest court on 17 November. If the apex court upholds the GEAC decision, it would be a first for a GM food crop in India — a major step that could improve food security in what will soon be the world’s most populous nation, amid the challenges of global warming. But India has a history of protracted legal wrangling over such decisions. Will India ever allow transgenic food crops, and if so, when?