The Supreme Court recently questioned the Centre on why reports of the court-appointed Technical Experts Committee (TEC) on the biosafety of genetically modified (GM) crops were not looked into by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
About Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC):
- It is the statutory committee constituted under the “Rules for the Manufacture, Use/Import/Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells (Rules, 1989)” framed under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- It functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF & CC).
- Functions:
- It is responsible for the approval of activities involving large-scale use of hazardous living microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from an environmental perspective.
- The committee is also responsible for the appraisal of proposals relating to the release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment, including experimental field trials.
- Clearance of GEAC is mandatory for the environmental release of GM crops.
- The committee or any person authorised by it has the power to take punitive action under the Environment Protection Act.
- Composition:
- GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC and co-chaired by a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
- Presently, it has 24 members and meets every month to review the applications in the areas indicated above.
- The members comprise experts from other ministries as well as institutions such as the ICAR, ICMR, CCMB, and so on.