We give them complete mentorship

IN a special programme to help industry, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has created Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Programme …

Breaking ties

TV>> MONSANTO • India

WHO OWNS OUR VEGGIES?

The patenting of a broccoli developed through conventional breeding in Europe is a disturbing trend since it violates the law on plant life

Seeds of decline

Frequent pest attacks, rising seed costs and declining returns are forcing farmers to abandon India's first genetically modified (GM) crop, Bt …

Will the boom last?

Fifteen years after it rose and went limp, the biotech sector, globally, as well as in India has seen a bull run of sorts. In January this year, …

Rajasthan seed initiative wilts

MoUs with biotech seed companies in limbo as protests force a rethink

Why do we need patents?

There is no empirical evidence that patents serve to increase innovation and productivity

'Failing to support GM crops single most damaging element for growth'

The European Association for Bio-Industries (EuropaBio) says the decision by 16 EU nations to opt out of GMO crop cultivation has taken away the …

States’ entry ruffles GM lobby

Biotech firms object to states getting a say in approving GM crop trials

GM crop benefits are all in future

Nearly 40 years ago, Marc Van Montagu of Ghent University in Belgium, along with fellow researcher Jeff Schell, discovered that Agrobacterium …

Rotten tomato for Monsanto

US biotech giant's claim on a natural tomato is its latest patent to be revoked by Europe after soy and wheat

Regulatory battle

Industry and activists have expressed conflicting opinions on GM crops. GEAC has a difficult decision to make

Why experts want GM freeze

Say regulatory system has grave deficiencies; challenge agriculture ministry’s claims

Access, yes. Sharing, no

The access and benefit-sharing protocol on biodiversity may do little to deter multinationals from grabbing the planet’s resources

Rajasthan scraps seed pacts

ICAR tells Rajasthan to wait for guidelines on benefit sharing, biosafety

ABCDE of Obama’s sales pitch

Scientifically invalid

Inter-Academy update on GM crops does little to redeem Indian science

Rajasthan opens farm gates

State ties up with Monsanto, other biotech giants to restructure agriculture

It’s still open season for bio-piracy

Rich nations block accord on benefit-sharing rules for the world’s genetic resources

Whose germplasm is it?

NBA struggles to frame case against Mahyco in first biopiracy case

A pre-emptive strike against Monsanto

American organic farmers are trying to ensure the biotech giant cannot sue them

In the wrong ministry?

Biotech Regulatory Authority will have too much power, no checks

Moily bats for GM trials

After he revives regulatory body for GM crops, industry demands removal of state clearances

Disclosure-shy industry

Pharma and biotech firms are lobbying hard to block disclosure of origin of genetic material used in inventions, but they also raise thorny issues

Biotech industry has a new patron

Department of Biotechnology is playing venture capitalist to private companies to push biotech research in agriculture