Gene Campaign, a grassroots level organisation with a presence in 17 states of India, was started in 1993 by Dr. Suman Sahai and a group of people concerned about food and livelihood security. Gene Campaign is recognized as a leading research and advocacy organisation working in the field of bioresources, farmers' and community rights, intellectual property rights and indigenous knowledge, biopiracy, issues related with GE food and crops.

GMO REGULATIONS IN INDIA AND THEIR WEAKNESS

In India, the Genetically Modified Organisms are regulated under the Environment Protection Act 1986 (EPA). In addition the Indian biosafety regulatory framework comprises 1989 "Rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms, genetically Modified Organisms and Cells" (1989 Rules), and Department of Biotechnology guidelines, the 1990 "Recombinant DNA Safety Guidelines" (1990 DBT Guidelines) and 1994 "Revised Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology" (1994 DBT Guidelines) and 1998 "Revised Guidelines for Research in Transgenic Plants and Guidelines for Toxicity and Allergenicity Evaluation of Transgenic Seeds, Plants and Plant Parts" (1998 DBT Guidelines).  

Gene Campaign and India International Center program on ‘Road to India’s Food Security’

As part of its ongoing series on food security, Gene Campaign and IIC, Delhi had organized a discussion on the “Present Food Crisis and India’s Response” at the IIC on August 4th, 2008. Dr. S.N. Shukla, Assistant Director General (Food and Fodder Crops), ICAR and Dr. Suman Sahai, Convenor of Gene Campaign discussed the various aspects of the current global food crisis and what India’s response should be.