Question:
What is the process for obtaining regulatory approval to use CRISPR-Cas9 technology in agriculture in India?
What is the process for obtaining regulatory approval to use CRISPR-Cas9 technology in agriculture in India?
Show Hint
The GEAC is the statutory apex body responsible for assessing the biosafety and environmental risks of all transgenic and high-level genome-edited crops in India.
Updated On: Jul 31, 2026
- Submitting an application to the Ministry of Agriculture
- Obtaining approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Seeking approval from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
- As of now, no approval is required for the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in agriculture in India
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In India, research, development, and environmental release of genetically modified (GM) and gene-edited organisms are regulated by statutory bodies under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Under the Rules 1989 of the Environment Protection Act, any laboratory or industrial use of gene editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 requires regulatory oversight.
Historically, all genetic engineering and gene-editing proposals had to seek regulatory approval from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
In March 2022, the MoEFCC updated these guidelines, exempting Site-Directed Nuclease (SDN) 1 and SDN 2 categories of genome-edited plants (which do not introduce any foreign DNA) from the extensive biosafety trials required for transgenic GM crops.
Instead, SDN-1 and SDN-2 crops are regulated by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC) and the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
However, genome-edited crops belonging to the SDN-3 category (which involve the insertion of foreign DNA) are still classified as transgenic and strictly require full regulatory approval from the GEAC before environmental release.
Therefore, for general transgenic applications and SDN-3 gene editing, seeking approval from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee remains the standard regulatory requirement.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Hence, the correct option is (C).
In India, research, development, and environmental release of genetically modified (GM) and gene-edited organisms are regulated by statutory bodies under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Under the Rules 1989 of the Environment Protection Act, any laboratory or industrial use of gene editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 requires regulatory oversight.
Historically, all genetic engineering and gene-editing proposals had to seek regulatory approval from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
In March 2022, the MoEFCC updated these guidelines, exempting Site-Directed Nuclease (SDN) 1 and SDN 2 categories of genome-edited plants (which do not introduce any foreign DNA) from the extensive biosafety trials required for transgenic GM crops.
Instead, SDN-1 and SDN-2 crops are regulated by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC) and the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
However, genome-edited crops belonging to the SDN-3 category (which involve the insertion of foreign DNA) are still classified as transgenic and strictly require full regulatory approval from the GEAC before environmental release.
Therefore, for general transgenic applications and SDN-3 gene editing, seeking approval from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee remains the standard regulatory requirement.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Hence, the correct option is (C).
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