English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Study points to quality issues in Bt Cotton seeds

Published

on

Study points to quality issues in Bt Cotton seeds

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Sunderarajan Padmanabhan

The controversy over poor ‘refuge’ for genetically modified cotton, known as Bt Cotton, has taken a new turn with a study showing that not only farmers but seed companies are responsible for the problem.

Conducted by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)’s Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), the study has found several lacunae: admixture of the refuge seeds with Bt seeds, poor germination of non-Bt seeds and asynchrony between the Bt and corresponding non-Bt refuge, in contravention of the regulatory guidelines. Researchers have published their findings in the latest issue of journal Current Science.

The purpose of refuge area in which non-GM cotton is grown is to delay the development of resistance in bollworms. The efficacy of refuge depends on the extent of simultaneous flowering and fruiting of the refuge and the main Bt crop. The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) had stipulated that a minimum of five border rows of conventional non-Bt Cotton hybrid of the corresponding Bt hybrid should be planted as refuge around Bt Cotton field. This norm was also subsequently amended to allow planting of pigeon pea as refuge crop. Seeds companies were required to provide a packet of 120 g non-Bt cotton seeds or 200 g of pigeonpea along with every packet of 450 g Bt Cotton seeds.

The study, conducted in 2014 and 2015, has found that seed companies have violated these norms. In the first year, 91 Bt Cotton seed packets were purchased from open market in North and Central India and a random sample of 10 seeds each from the main packet and the non-Bt refuge packet were drawn for the study. The seeds were first analysed to see what they contained. As many as 26 refuge packets had Bt seeds, when they should not have even a trace of them. Clearly there was an admixture of the refuge seeds with Bt seeds.

This was followed by a field trial. It wasconducted at the institute with 45 Bt-refuge seed pairs to study the level of germination and synchrony between them in flowering and fruiting.There was not much difference in terms of germination: all the Bt seeds had a germination of over 75 per cent, while 40 of the refuge had a germination of over 75 per cent and the balance five less than 25 per cent. However, when it came to flowering, for which 40 sets were assessed, there were issues: there was synchrony only in the case of 17 pairs.

In 2015, 30 seed packets were procured from the open market in Central India and studied. Here again 12 packets for refuge seeds were found to contain Bt seeds. On further study, while all the 30 Bt hybrids had a germination of over 75 per cent, only nine refuge seed had a germination of over 75 per cent.

Studies over the years have indicated that the refuge compliance was poor, leading to rapid development of resistance in pink bollworm for CryIAc and Cry2Ab toxins. So far, the blame was laid mainly on the farmers. It was thought that their ignorance of the need for refuge and reluctance to sacrifice land for non-Bt crops that would be vulnerable to bollworm was mainly responsible. The new findings change this.

The study also assumes importance in the context of a proposal to introduce a new concept called ‘refuge in bag (RIB)’ under which the farmers would be provided with a seed mix of 5 per cent non-Bt refuge and 95 per cent Bt seed in a 475 gm packet. The idea is to ensure that famers do not have the choice of avoiding refuge planting. But, it remains to be seen how far it will really help. For, with the present method of testing 10 seeds per packet, monitoring the correct percentage of non-Bt seeds in a bag of Bt seeds is likely to be difficult.

Source: India Science Wire

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Continue Reading

India News

Akhilesh Yadav says BJP orchestrated Sambhal violence to cover up byelection malpractice

He said that impartial investigations would reveal that many voters were unable to cast their ballots and that someone else had fraudulently voted in their place.

Published

on

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the BJP government of orchestrating the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district during a mosque survey, claiming it was a ploy to distract from electoral malpractice.

Yadav, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, also alleged incidents of electronic booth capturing during the recently concluded bypolls for nine Assembly seats in the state, suggesting that a forensic examination of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) by the Election Commission could provide clarity on the situation.

Earlier in the day, the Uttar Pradesh Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd after it got violent and started stone pelting as tension escalated during a second survey of the Mughal-era mosque, claimed to be originally the site of an ancient Hindu temple. At least ten people were detained following the violent clash.

The local administration said that a second survey, led by an “Advocate Commissioner” as part of a court-mandated examination of the disputed area, commenced around 7 AM, attracting a gathering crowd.

Yadav made the statement a day after the results of the UP bypolls, where the Samajwadi Party secured only two seats, while the BJP and its ally, the RLD, won seven, including the Kundarki seat, which has a significant Muslim population.

“A serious incident took place in Sambhal, where a survey team was intentionally sent in the morning to disrupt election discussions. Their goal was to create chaos and prevent any debate on election-related issues,” Yadav claimed.

He said that several individuals were injured in the Sambhal violence, with one fatality, and questioned the need for a new survey conducted without proper preparation, especially when a previous survey had already been completed.

The Samajwadi Party chief said, “I won’t delve into legalities, but the other side wasn’t given a fair hearing. This was clearly designed to incite emotions and distract from conversations about electoral fraud.”

Yadav asserted that the events in Sambhal were a deliberate act by the BJP to divert attention from the alleged electoral irregularities. “In a true democracy, victory should come from the people, not the system. The kind of democracy the BJP is establishing ensures that the system prevails over the voters,” he stated.

He said that impartial investigations would reveal that many voters were unable to cast their ballots and that someone else had fraudulently voted in their place.

He charged that on election day, the police and administration removed nearly all of the Samajwadi Party’s booth agents and many supporters eager to vote. “If voters were shut out, who actually cast the votes? If our party’s votes didn’t reach those booths and our candidate received no support, then who voted there? This is a serious concern,” he said.

Yadav also pointed out discrepancies with polling slips, alleging the presence of both red-marked and regular slips, which he claimed led to discriminatory practices on voting day. Haji Rizwan, the Samajwadi Party candidate for Kundarki, echoed the same claims, stating that his supporters faced barriers to voting. BJP’s Ramveer Singh won the Kundarki bypoll by a notable margin of over 145,000 votes.

Yadav said that a victory gained through deceit is nothing but an illusion that ultimately burdens those who orchestrated it. “This entire act has been staged by the BJP. Such a victory only morally weakens those who achieve it and dulls their conscience,” he said.

He questioned how one can uphold democracy when the government and administration themselves engage in oppression. “This dishonesty is not a new phenomenon. Election rigging has become their standard operating procedure, and the evidence has been captured on camera. Even an MLA faced humiliation,” the former chief minister alleged.

Continue Reading

India News

Former CJI Chandrachud removed fear of law from political defectors, claims Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut

 “If he would have given a timely verdict in disqualification petition of Shiv Sena (UBT), the scenario in Maharashtra would have been different. History will never forgive him,” he said. 

Published

on

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday criticised former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, accusing him of undermining the rule of law for politicians who switched parties in Maharashtra.

This statement from Raut follows his party’s disappointing performance in the recent state Assembly elections, where they secured only 20 out of the 95 seats contested within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. The results for the alliance’s partners were similarly poor, with Congress winning 16 of 101 seats and the NCP (SP) claiming just 10 of the 86 seats they contested for.

Raut asserted that by failing to rule on the disqualification petitions, Chandrachud enabled defections to occur freely.

Speaking to reporters, Raut said: “Chandrachud has eradicated the fear of the law among defectors. His actions will be remembered negatively in history.”

After the split of the Shiv Sena in 2022, the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray filed petitions in the Supreme Court seeking the disqualification of MLAs who defected to join Eknath Shinde. The Supreme Court subsequently assigned the responsibility to the Assembly Speaker, who earlier this year ruled that the Shinde-led faction represented the real political party.

Raut said the result of the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024 could have been different if Chandrachud had not delayed the decisions regarding disqualification petitions.

 “If he would have given a timely verdict in disqualification petition of Shiv Sena (UBT), the scenario in Maharashtra would have been different. History will never forgive him,” he said. 

“The choice of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister will be dictated by the Gujarat lobby. Perhaps the swearing-in ceremony should take place in Gujarat instead of Maharashtra,” he said. Additionally, Raut credited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for their role in the success of the Mahayuti coalition, alleging that their aggressive campaigning techniques significantly influenced the election results.

Continue Reading

India News

At all-party meet, Congress demands discussion on Adani, Manipur in Parliament winter session

The winter session of Parliament is scheduled to continue until December 20, with no sessions planned for November 26 in observance of Constitution Day.

Published

on

In the customary all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the winter session of Parliament on Sunday, the Congress demanded that the BJP-led central government discuss allegations against the Adani Group and the Manipur violence.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said that his party demanded discussions on issues such as the Adani Group bribery allegations, the Manipur crisis, pollution, and train accidents in the parliamentary session, which is starting on Monday.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju announced during a press conference that an all-party meeting was held to discuss the upcoming winter session of Parliament. A total of 42 political representatives were present, consisting of 30 party leaders and party floor leaders, each contributing their suggestions, he added.

Rijiju stated that these suggestions would be reviewed with the business advisory committee and the Speakers of both Houses to determine which issues would be addressed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. He emphasised the desire for constructive and peaceful discussions in both Houses.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi highlighted several key issues raised by the Congress and the INDIA alliance during the meeting. He pointed out that a significant concern was the financial sector scam recently highlighted by the US government, urging the BJP-led NDA government to provide clear answers regarding the matter.

Regarding the issues discussed, AAP leader Sanjay Singh noted that corruption related to the Adani group was damaging India’s global reputation and warranted further discussions.

He also mentioned the ongoing violence in Manipur, which has persisted for a year and a half without government intervention. Additionally, Singh said he raised concerns about irregularities during the Uttar Pradesh bypolls, where voters faced intimidation, questioning the integrity of the electoral process.

Singh expressed skepticism about the government’s claim to implement the Waqf Bill without awaiting the Joint Parliamentary Committee’s report.

SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal said she brought to attention several issues concerning farmers, stating that they are being exploited by a central government, receiving less than the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

She noted that a significant percentage of DAP fertiliser supplied by the Centre is reportedly fake, and highlighted concerns regarding land transfers to Haryana in Chandigarh, which violate the Punjab Reorganization Act.

In the meeting, Badal also criticised the forced acquisition of farmland for the Bharatmala Expressway and suggested that there may be a collaborative effort between the Centre and the Opposition to stall House proceedings, emphasising that the responsibility to manage the House lies with the government.

The Congress party, which is the largest Opposition party in the House, is expected to prioritise discussions on the situation in the Northeast, the ongoing border tensions at the Line of Actual Control, and allegations surrounding businessman Gautam Adani.

The government has prepared 16 bills for consideration, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, which is under review by the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Moreover, there may be discussions regarding the contentious ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has supported as a means to optimise resources and enhance democracy, although it has faced opposition from Congress.

The winter session of Parliament is scheduled to continue until December 20, with no sessions planned for November 26 in observance of Constitution Day.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com