Source: IE
Context:
India faces rising food demand, climate vulnerability, stagnant yields, and increasing import dependence. The editorial argues that genetic engineering (GE) and precision breeding are essential tools to secure India’s future food security.
Key Highlights
India’s Food Security Challenge
- Population projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2060, requiring major agricultural productivity boosts.
- Traditional breeding alone cannot meet the demands of soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate stress.
Advances in Gene Editing (GE) in India
- ICAR-developed CRISPR-based GE rice lines (Samba Mahsuri, MTU-1010):
- Higher yield
- Drought and salinity tolerance
- CRISPR-edited mustard under field trials:
- Low pungency
- Pest and disease resistance
What is Gene Editing?
- Gene Editing (GE) is a precise, targeted biotechnology technique that allows scientists to modify, delete, or insert specific DNA sequences within an organism’s genome.
- Unlike traditional genetic modification (GM), GE does not always require inserting foreign genes, making it more natural, accurate, and faster.
Indigenous GE Innovation
- ICAR scientists patented a TnpB-based gene-editing tool, a potential alternative to CRISPR.
- Significance:
- Reduces reliance on costly foreign biotech platforms.
- Counters fears of multinational dominance in GE seeds.
Economic Costs of Delayed Biotech Adoption
- India imports $20 billion worth of edible oils annually.
- Shift from being a net exporter to importer of cotton, partly due to lack of upgraded biotech varieties.
- The editorial argues India is “paying the price” by resisting GM/GE innovations.
Countering Anti-GE Skepticism
- Opposition to genetic engineering is often ideological rather than scientific.
- Solution lies in developing indigenous GE tools, not rejecting GE technology altogether.
- Farmers should not be denied technological advances due to outdated fears.
Policy Direction Needed
- Transparent and science-based regulatory approvals.
- Faster field trials and commercialization pathways.
- Public-sector innovation to avoid corporate monopolies.
- Ensuring farmers eventually access GE crops that enhance yield, resilience, and income.
