The government of Maharashtra barring rubber crop has given ‘No Objection Certificate’ for field trial of five genetically modified (GM) crops in the state. These GM crops include brinjal, maize, rice, chickpea and cotton. Since June 2011, it has been made compulsory for companies to obtain ‘NOC’ from the state governments where they want to conduct field tests.
The state government has approved field trial of BT rice and two other rice varieties which are drought tolerant and has nitrogen use efficiency. Maharashtra is focusing on allowing those GM crops that address the problem of insecticides, weedicide and diseases in crops like rice, cotton, soyabean, groundnut, pigeonpea, brinjal, chilli and others.
Apart from Maharashtra, states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh have given NOCs for field trials of some biotech crops, while states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have banned such research activities.