Ultras kill 1 near Srinagar hotel

A Supreme Court-appointed panel has recommended a 10-year moratorium on all field trials of GM food crops, including Bt Cotton, a suggestion welcomed by environmentalists. In its interim report, the Technical Expert Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court, has said the present regulatory system and protocol for conducting the field trials was unsatisfactory and inadequate, requiring major changes, restructuring and strengthening. 'Based on the current overall status of food safety evaluation of Bt transgenics including the data on Bt Cotton and Bt Brinjal examined by the TEC and in accordance with the precautionary principle, the TEC recommends a 10 year moratorium on field trials of Bt transgenics in all food crops [those used directly for human consumption],' it said.