Context:
Indigenous GM mustard meant to make edible oil cheaper, Centre tells Supreme Court
Right to Food:
- It refers to the fundamental right of people to access basic food consumed every day at a cheaper price.
- 3 components –
- Availability – It is the sum total of food production within the country, food imports and the stock stored in government granaries.
- Accessibility – It means food is within reach of every person without any discrimination.
- Affordability: It implies that having enough money to buy sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet one’s dietary needs.
- Initiatives by Government
- Food Corporation of India (FCI)
- Public Distribution System
- National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA)
- High-tech farming practices like Precision Agriculture
- Negotiations on use of GM crops
GM Crops:
- GM crops – Crops derived from plants whose genes are artificially modified, usually by inserting genetic material from another organism
- Benefits –
- Increased yield
- Tolerance to herbicide
- Resistance to disease or drought
- Improve its nutritional value.
- Example – Golden Rice
- Regulatory Authority in India – GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee)
- Status – India has approved commercial cultivation of only one GM crop, Bt cotton.
- No GM food crop has ever been approved for commercial cultivation in the country.
- GM Mustard or Dhara Mustard Hybrid 11 has received approval for environmental release from GEAC
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Bollgard I and Bollgard II technologies are mentioned in the context of
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2021 Prelims]
(a) clonal propagation of crop plants
(b) developing genetically modified crop plants
(c) production of plant growth substances
(d) production of biofertilizers
Answer: (b)
