Context: Unauthorised GM cotton → An industry-commissioned study found that over one-fourth of India’s cultivated cotton area may contain unauthorised genetically modified (GM) hybrids carrying herbicide-tolerant (HT) and next-generation Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) traits.
- Geographical spread: Such traits were detected in seed or leaf samples collected from farmers’ fields across 16 districts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Key Findings of the Study
- Farmer adoption: Labour shortages and rising manual weeding costs encourage farmers to adopt HT cotton, which allows chemical herbicides to control weeds, and advanced Bt cotton, which offers protection against a broader range of insect pests.
- Cost advantage: Manual weeding may cost ₹12,000–15,000 per acre, compared with ₹750–850 for spraying three rounds of glyphosate, creating an incentive to use HT cotton.
- Unauthorised traits: The study detected HT-Bt genes and next-generation Bt traits in more than half of the seed or leaf samples collected from surveyed fields.
- Unauthorised seed market: Sales of illegal Bt cotton seeds reportedly increased from 59.6 million packets in 2022–23 to 46.3 million packets in 2025–26, according to the article; these figures indicate a decline between the two reported years, despite the stated concern about widespread unauthorised cultivation.
- Regulatory failure: Unauthorised hybrids bypass government biosafety assessment and regulatory approval, undermining the formal seed industry and potentially exposing farmers to unassessed risks.
Difference Between Approved and Unauthorised GM Traits
- Approved Bt cotton: Commercially approved Bt cotton hybrids contain insecticidal traits derived from Bacillus thuringiensis, including Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab, which target specified insect pests such as pink bollworm.
- Unauthorised HT cotton: Herbicide-tolerant cotton enables farmers to spray particular herbicides over the crop to control weeds without damaging the cotton plants.
- Vip3A Bt trait: The Vip3A protein provides a different mode of action against certain insect pests, potentially broadening protection beyond that offered by existing Bt traits.
- Approval status: The article states that HT traits and the Vip3A Bt gene discussed have not been officially authorised for commercial cultivation in India.
Why Are Farmers Adopting Unauthorised GM Cotton?
- Labour scarcity: Reduced availability of agricultural labour makes manual weeding expensive and time-consuming.
- Pest resistance: Existing Bt cotton faces challenges from pests such as pink bollworm, encouraging interest in hybrids with additional insecticidal traits.
- Informal seed networks: Farmers obtain unauthorised seeds through illegal channels, including traders and breeders who bypass the official biosafety and regulatory approval system.
- Research–farmer disconnect: The article argues that restrictive commercialisation and field-trial policies, partly driven by ideological opposition to GM crops, have contributed to the spread of unregulated cultivation.
Concerns Associated with Unregulated GM Cotton
- Biosafety risks: Unauthorised crops may be cultivated without adequate assessment of environmental effects, gene flow, ecological impacts and long-term safety.
- Herbicide resistance: Repeated use of the same herbicide can select for resistant weeds, reducing the effectiveness of weed management.
- Pest resistance: Continuous reliance on insecticidal traits can accelerate resistance in target pests if appropriate resistance-management strategies are not followed.
- Regulatory credibility: Widespread illegal cultivation weakens compliance with biosafety regulations and creates difficulties for monitoring and enforcement.
- Farmer vulnerability: Farmers using unapproved seeds may face uncertain performance, inadequate technical support and limited access to reliable seed quality assurance.
Regulatory Framework for GM Crops in India
- Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: Provides the overarching legal basis for regulating genetically engineered organisms and their environmental release.
- 1989 Rules: Rules framed under the Act regulate the manufacture, use, import, export and storage of hazardous microorganisms and genetically engineered organisms.
- Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC): Functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and appraises proposals involving environmental release and large-scale use of genetically engineered organisms, including GM crops.
- Biosafety approval: GM crops require applicable regulatory clearances before commercial cultivation; unauthorised release or cultivation can violate the established regulatory framework.
Way Forward
- Strengthen enforcement: Improve seed-market surveillance, trace unauthorised hybrids and take action against illegal production and distribution networks.
- Improve farmer access: Address labour shortages through mechanisation, affordable weed-management solutions and extension services.
- Evidence-based regulation: Ensure transparent, science-based assessment of GM crops, balancing biosafety, agricultural productivity and farmer needs.
- Resistance management: Promote integrated pest management, herbicide rotation where appropriate, refuge strategies for Bt crops and regular monitoring of resistant pests and weeds.
- Bridge research and farming: Strengthen field trials, farmer consultation and timely regulatory decisions so that agricultural innovation proceeds through lawful, scientifically assessed pathways.
Additional UPSC-Relevant Information
- Bt cotton: India approved commercial cultivation of Bt cotton in 2002. It is the country’s principal commercially approved GM fibre crop, with insect-resistant traits intended to control specified lepidopteran pests.
- Herbicide-tolerant crops: These are engineered to withstand particular herbicides, enabling weed control without directly damaging the crop; their use can also create risks of herbicide-resistant weeds.
- Precautionary principle: Environmental decisions should account for potential serious harm even when scientific uncertainty remains, supporting rigorous biosafety assessment before the release of GM organisms.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Combines biological, cultural, mechanical and judicious chemical methods to control pests while reducing dependence on any single control strategy.
