GM Mustard (DMH-11)

The Central government may soon approve genetically modified crops, but protestors are still fighting to prevent their commercial usage.

Approval of GM Mustard (DMH-11)

• The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change's Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) may give its approval for the commercial production of modified mustard.
• This would be the first time since 2002 that GM mustard, a hybridised variant of the mustard species that has undergone genetic modification, has been approved for mass consumption.
• After testing at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, the national government gave the GM mustard the all-clear in 2017.
• The Environment Ministry's permission, though, was still waiting.
• Future crops: Following the approval of the GM mustard, BT cotton, BT brinjal, and HT cotton are next in line to receive the green light for commercial production.

Objections to it:

• After activists and farmer organisations sought the Supreme Court to object, the decision to approve it was put on hold.

After approval, the following problems could occur:

• Food security and crop diversity may be at risk as a result of this.
• Indigenous crop types, which are essential for battling climate change, could be in danger.
• Since private firms rather than farmers would control the seed market, it will have a significant impact on the agricultural industry.
• The entire biosafety evaluation of GM mustard was conducted in an improper manner without adhering to any rules.

Government position:

• Farmers cultivate these cultivars illegally in various states, including Haryana. The goal is to normalise such unlawful behaviour.
• Since genetic editing would not fall under the category of genetic modification, the government has been debating whether to approve it.

What are GM crops, and what are they used for?

• They are the kind of plants whose DNA has undergone genetic engineering modification in order to confer a new attribute on the plant that does not naturally occur in the species.
• By inserting an alien gene into the seeds to produce the desired results, genetic engineering tries to break down the genus barrier. The foreign gene may be from a plant, an animal, or even a soil bacteria.

Indian GM crops

Bt cotton:

• Two foreign genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) enable Bt cotton, the only GM crop authorised in India, to produce a protein harmful to the common insect pink bollworm.
• Contrarily, Bt cotton is created by introducing a second gene from a different soil bacterium, which enables the plant to withstand the common pesticide glyphosate.

GM Mustard

• The commercial distribution of genetically modified (GM) mustard has previously been delayed by the government due to vehement resistance from NGOs and anti-GMO campaigners
• Global variations: GM versions of maize, canola, and soybean are also offered everywhere.

Genetically modified crops' legal status in India

• The top authority in India that approves the commercial release of GM crops is known as the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
• The GEAC has permitted the commercial distribution of Bt cotton in 2002.
• According to the Environmental Protection Act of 1989, using the authorised GM variety might result in a 5-year prison sentence and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh.
• Several types of genome-edited crops were for the first time exempted by the Central Government from the strict laws that apply to genetically modified or GM crops, opening the path for more R&D on them.
• The acceptable limit for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in imported food crops was established at 1% by the FSSAI ruling on February 8, 2021.

Benefits of GMO Agriculture

• Enhances output and increases farmer income.
• Using less pesticide and insecticide in farming could be a major step toward improving the availability of food.
• Food Security: It can feed a population that is growing quickly due to the drastically higher yields.
• More Yield: Smaller plots of land can yield greater yields.

Disadvantages

• Due to the potential for one organism to be favoured by the "superior" qualities created by modifying genes, the production carries significant dangers for the destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Consequently, it may eventually interfere with how genes move naturally.
• It raises the expense of farming and makes farming more prone to marketization, which focuses on unethical profits.
• In addition to endangering farmers, transgenic crops also threaten the environment and the trade.
• The majority of the negative consequences from GM crops are not sufficiently captured by the present safety assessments.

Way Forward

• The decision will undoubtedly let GM seeds be used for commercial purposes.
• In the event that the Ministry approves, appropriate instructions and the SOP must be drafted.
• Additionally, traditional seeds that would guarantee food security need to be strengthened, conserved, and preserved.

Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)

At the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced "Mission LiFE" (Lifestyle for Environment) in the presence of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

About

• A new movement for sustainable and healthy living is called Mission LiFE.
• Mission LiFE will make the battle against climate change democratic with the help of each individual.
• It will assist in addressing the world's and humanity's main challenges, which include climate change and global warming.
• At the occasion, Mr. Guterres introduced the LiFE logo, tagline, and the Mission Document.

The LiFE Mission's Importance

• Effort fine-tuning: It will aid in coordination with policies like the construction of solar power plants, the mounting of solar panels on canals, and water conservation in drought-prone areas.
• Disaster management: It will make it possible to combat environmental tragedies and disasters and establish national and international trends for sustainable development.
• A global initiative: India will support the worldwide effort to combat climate change and advance a sustainable way of life in order to meet the U.N. sustainable development objectives by 2030.
• Pro Planet People: As it is founded on the fundamental tenets of "Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet, and by the planet," it encourages the spirit of the P3 model, i.e. Pro Planet People.
• India and the UN have partnered on this new effort, which will be a success on a global scale.
• For instance, the UN is encouraging people all around the world to live healthy lifestyles by supporting India's planned International Day of Yoga.
• Harmony with nature: It will include all ways of living that our predecessors used to conserve the environment and nature and that are still a part of our way of life now.
• Battle Climate Change: To safeguard the environment, the earth, and humanity from climate-related disasters and extreme weather calamities, the fight against climate change requires broader support (individuals, the family, the community).
• A circular economy: The LiFE Mission promotes the 'Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle' philosophy, which will aid in achieving harmony between development, economic growth, and sustainability.
• Net zero carbon footprint: This will assist India and many other nations in achieving their net zero carbon footprint objectives.

India’s Position in Climate Change Efforts

National Action Plan on Climate Change: India has been committed to tackle the menace of climate change with an emphasis on renewable energy. Example, the launch of the NAPCC in 2008.

• National Solar Mission (NSM)
• National Water Mission (NWM)
• National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE)
• National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE)
• National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH)
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
• Green India Mission (GIM)
• National Mission for Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change (NMSKCC)

Carbon Footprint of India:

• Compared to the global average of 4 tonnes per year, India's yearly per capita carbon footprint is only 1.5 tonnes.

• India is ranked fourth in wind energy and fifth in solar energy for its performance in the field of renewable energy.

• In the previous 7-8 years, India's capacity for renewable energy has expanded by roughly 290%.
• Additionally, India has met its goal of getting 40% of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources nine years early.
• Through the National Hydrogen Mission, India has made progress toward a sustainable energy source.

International Solar Alliance:

• The UN Secretary General has praised India for spearheading the alliance's concept and for implementing environmentally friendly policies to advance renewable energy and cut back on the use of fossil fuels.
• The National Year of Millets is observed in 2018 long before the International Year of Millets, which will be recognised in 2023 and spark a global discussion.
• Gujarat was the first state in India to start taking steps to adopt renewable energy sources and protect the environment.
• The entire village of Modhera Sun Temple, which is close to Ahmedabad, depends on solar power generated by panels erected on the roofs of homes, government buildings, and the temple's campus.

Way Forward

• India and the rest of the globe must work together to advance the goal of starting the renewable revolution.
• Overconsumption needs to be controlled because it is the cause of the triple world emergency of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
• The triple bottom line strategy must be adopted by all nations and international organisations in order to achieve effective environmental governance in the twenty-first century.
• The LiFE Mission and this strategy will make it possible to balance the interests of people (development), the planet (sustainability), and profit (economic growth).
• Prakriti Rakshati Rakshita: Those who safeguard the environment are safeguarded by it.

Read Also: Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)

Storm Sitrang in the Bay of Bengal

• The first Tropical Cyclone of the 2022 post-monsoon season, Sitrang, is expected to form in the Bay of Bengal on October 24.
• Titli was the last October cyclone in the Bay of Bengal in 2018.

About

• Storms of severe severity emerge in the North Indian Ocean — comprised of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea — in the months of October-November and May-June, with an average of five developing per calendar year.
• October has seen 61 storms form in the Bay of Bengal over the last 131 years.
• In comparison to the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea has only seen 32 storms form in October since 1891.

Important Factors:

• Following the exit of the Southwest monsoon, increase in ocean heating, resulting in an increase in sea surface temperature over the Bay of Bengal.
• The availability of atmospheric moisture over the ocean region is also greater.
• As a result, when leftover systems from the South China Sea approach the Bay of Bengal, they encounter favourable circumstances, facilitating the formation and intensification of cyclones in October."
• This phenomenon is hampered in some years due to ocean-atmospheric variables.
• For example, weak La Nina conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean prevented cyclonic formation near India's shores in 2020.

Cyclone Sitrang

• Thailand gave the name Sitrang (pronounced Si-trang), and it is on the list of tropical cyclone names maintained by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) from April 2020.

Impacts

• In the next four days, the current low pressure system will strengthen and march towards India's east coast.
• Gale winds and heavy rain are forecast mostly over the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bangladesh, particularly in coastal districts.

About Tropical Cyclone

• It is a rapidly rotating storm that forms over tropical oceans and absorbs energy from there to develop.
• It has a low-pressure centre and clouds spiralling towards the eyewall, which surrounds the "eye," the central region of the storm where the weather is generally calm and cloud-free.

Read Also: Yaas Cyclone