Unregulated Use of Unapproved GM Cotton in India

Gist A seed industry study has revealed that over a quarter of India's cultivated cotton area is now sown with illegal, unapproved Genetically Modified GM hybrids. Driven by acute labour shortages and severe pest attacks, farmers are bypassing the official regulatory system to adopt Herbicide-Tolerant HT and next-generation Bt traits. For civil services aspirants, this highlights a severe regulatory failure: ideological delays in approving agricultural biotechnology have birthed a thriving black market, ultimately turning India from a net exporter to a net importer of cotton. Background Genetically Modified GM crops involve inserting specific genes into a plant to grant it traits like pest resistance or weed-killer tolerance. Currently, the legally approved GM cotton in India relies on specific genes Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab derived from a soil bacterium that offer protection against certain pests, but these older traits do not confer tolerance to weed killers, nor do they protect against newer threats like the pink bollworm. Before this widespread illegal adoption, farmers relied on manual weeding and authorized seed channels. However, the government’s biosafety and regulatory approval system has essentially blocked…