Here's a correction relating to an article from India's Financial Express, which we carried a couple of days ago, which said the sole NGO representative - Suman Sahai of Gene Campaign - on the committee hammering out India's national biotech policy had quit. According to the Financial Express there are eight representatives from industry on the committee.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4853
-------

CLARIFICATION FROM SUMAN SAHAI

There has been an incorrect report in the media that I have resigned from the Expert Committee set up to frame the National Biotechnology Policy in India. I have not resigned. Instead, I have been engaged in a long and frustrating dialogue with the Expert Committee since October 2004 to change the process of framing the national policy.

Specifically, I have been asking the Committee to
* Include a far greater representation of stakeholders on the Expert Committee
* Open the discussion to the public so that the decision making follows a democratic process.
*Conduct all deliberations in an open and transparent manner
* Ask for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to hear the views from various stakeholder groups, diverse experts and concerned citizens
*Prolong the thoroughly inadequate period of three months designated to frame the policy so that a proper debate is enabled with decent participation

The latest (as of two days ago) in this ongoing harangue is a renewed request to invite comments on whatever draft document has been prepared so far, and use this as the basis document for a larger public debate as well as to take action on all the aspects/ points listed above.

Let us see how the Committee responds to these suggestions, then Gene Campaign and partners and friends will decide on a future course of action.

Suman Sahai