Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of News Item titled "2 killed in blast at illegal cracker unit in Thanjavur appearing in The Hindu dated 19.05.2025". The application is registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item titled 2 killed in blast at illegal cracker unit …
The government's move to issue compulsory licences (CLs) for three more patented cancer drugs is a jolt to multinational pharmaceutical companies. The plan is to issue CLs for Trastuzumab (or Herceptin, used for treating breast cancer), Ixabepilone (used for chemotherapy in breast cancer treatment) and Dasatinib (or Sprycel, for leukaemia). …
Delhi-based biotechnology company Panacea Biotec is awaiting a nod from the World Health Organization (WHO) to resume supplying vaccines for the world immunisation programme from its units at Lalru (Haryana) and Baddi (Himachal Pradesh). Speaking to Business Standard, a senior company official said, “We expect WHO officials to visit our …
Publicly-held biotechnology major Biocon Ltd on Friday announced it had entered into an agreement with the US-based $21-billion Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) to further develop its IN-105, an oral insulin product candidate. Biocon will use BMS’ expertise in clinical trials and get help in redesigning Phase-II trials of the blockbuster drug. …
In its interim report, the Supreme Court-appointed Technical Expert Committee has unanimously recommended a 10-year moratorium on field trials of GM food crops Farmer community in Gujarat has raised objection to the union agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar's appeal to the state governments to permit field trials of genetically modified (GM) …
Batches of the world’s first vaccine against the hepatitis E virus began rolling out of a Chinese factory, promising to stem a disease that every year infects about 20 million people and claims 70,000 lives. The vaccine is being hailed as a victory for an unusual public–private partnership that could …
It contributed to a cumulative national farm income of $9.4 bn between 2002 and 2010 Bt cotton has delivered significant benefits to all members of the agricultural value chain in the country, and has contributed to a cumulative national farm income of about $9.4 billion between 2002 and 2010, turning …
Discard Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, say NGOs The Coalition for GM Free India; Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Hyderabad; and Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture have called upon the Union government to enact a comprehensive National Biosafety Protection Law to address the risks posed by genetic engineering. In …
Passionate arguments were heard on Wednesday for and against GM or genetically-modified technology in an event that was held on the sidelines of the CoP MoP 6. Scientists from Europe and Africa presented their studies on the observed health effects of GM foods and the resistance that insects are developing …
Europe has never been particularly fond of genetically modified (GM) foods, but a startling research paper looks set to harden public and political opposition even further, despite a torrent of scepticism from scientists about the work. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, looked for adverse …
A group of researchers and industry writers have constructed a narrative of technological triumph for Bt cotton in India, based on an empirical record of superior performance compared to conventional seed. Counterclaims of Bt cotton failure are attributed to mutually reinforcing interactions among non-governmental organisations which avoid rigorous comparisons. However, …
New Delhi The Centre has sought details from the Maharashtra government about reasons for cancelling the licence of private seed firm Mahyco to sell Bt cotton seeds in the state. The Union Agriculture Ministry has also asked Mahyco to submit its views, a senior government official said. On August 8, …
Environmentalists have called for stopping all field trials of genetically (GM) modified crops and a wider public debate on the issue. They welcomed the 492-page report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, headed by CPI(M) member Basudeb Acharia which raised a red flag on GM crops. The 31-member panel …
‘Probe how Bt brinjal seed was allowed to be commercialised’ In a major setback to the proponents of genetically modified technology in farm crops, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture on Thursday asked the government to stop all field trials and sought a bar on GM food crops (such as Bt. …
New Delhi Maharashtra has banned the sale and distribution of the genetically modified cotton seeds of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) with immediate effect on charges of supplying inferior quality seeds, a senior state government official said on Thursday. “Mahyco has not received any official communication from the Maharashtra government …
Complaints that Mahyco is exploiting farmers, promoting black marketing and ignoring rules have led the Maharashtra government to call into question the agri biotechnology company’s licence to produce and supply the 73-51 seed variety of genetically modified (Bt) cotton in the state. The Director of Inputs and Quality Control (DIQC), …
Can develop generics only by referring to an India-approved innovator biologic drug Companies such as Biocon, Panacea Biotec and Avesthagen will now have to follow a fresh set of norms while seeking marketing approval for their biotech products in India. The new norms mandate that companies can develop a biosimilar …
The Himachal Pradesh government has cleared a proposal for setting up two industrial units which are likely to bring in investments worth Rs 215 crore. The Rs 196 crore unit of Indian Tecnomac company will manufacture aluminum granules and quick lime which is likely to generate 624 jobs. The Rs …
The Government has to step in to curb the stranglehold the seed companies have over the choice of seeds, speakers at a round table on ‘Protecting Farmers from Seed Crises' said. Multinational seed companies like Monsanto are dominating the market and not allowing farmers to retain a portion of their …
The Association of Biotech Led Enterprises(ABLE), the voice of the biotechnology industry in India, has urged for a series of reforms to propel the sector in the next phase of its growth. The important one among them includes the ones pertaining to finance — upto Rs 5,000 crore biomanufacturing fund …
Biotech industry’s propaganda is false The only transgenic crop grown in India is Bt cotton developed by injecting a toxin from a soil bacterium called Bacillus Thuringiensis [Bt] into a cotton seed through a highly sophisticated process. When planted the seed produces a highly toxic cotton plant. Its roots, stem, …
