New Delhi
The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing on the release of genetically modified (GM) mustard until January 9, 2024. The bench, comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, cited time constraints and urged parties to keep their arguments concise. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, requested the court to schedule further hearings on a convenient date. Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, representing the petitioners, highlighted that a 10-year moratorium had been recommended by the Supreme Court’s technical expert committee. In August of this year, the Supreme Court had declined to issue urgent directions on the Centre’s request for the release of GM mustard for seed production and testing, emphasizing the need to maintain environmental integrity. The court had emphasized that environmental harm could not be reversed and underscored the importance of preserving the environment and ecology. Advocate Prashant Bhushan opposed the Centre’s application, expressing concerns about potential contamination of non-GM crops. Despite the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee’s decision allowing environmental release, the Centre provided an oral undertaking to the court, assuring that no precipitative steps would be taken until a comprehensive regulatory system is in place. The forthcoming Supreme Court decision is expected to be the first judgment on the issue, following the technical expert committee’s recommendation for a moratorium.
