Bt brinjal: National Biodiversity Board to lodge complaint against Mahyco soon

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is seriously considering lodging a complaint against the developers of genetically modified brinjal. In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by a Bengaluru-based non-profit, NBA disclosed that it is in an “advanced stage of lodging complaint against the alleged violators”. This means that Mahyco, a partner of biotech giant Monsanto, and their collaborators, including public research institutions, could get charged with bio-piracy for accessing indigenous brinjal varieties to develop Bt brinjal.

'Children of Gujarat's backward communities left out of vaccination drives'

A study on the access to health care services in Gujarat has found that children in rural areas who belong to backward castes are being left out of vaccination drives when compared to children of upper castes.

The underbelly of aid

Zimbabwe row over GM food aid ends

finally, there's hope on the horizon for Zimbabwe's hunger-stricken population. The country's government has reached an agreement with international relief agencies for the quick release of thousands of tonnes of food aid. In an unusual pact between the Zimbabwean government, the un World Food Programme and Zimbabwe's Grain Marketing Board, 17,500 metric tonnes of genetically modified (gm) corn from the us will be delivered to Zimbabwe.