NOTE: A week ago Devinder Sharma warned that, "Under pressure from GM companies, Agri and S&T [Science and Technology] Ministry planning a coup."
http://twitter.com/Devinder_Sharma/status/9227331836

That coup's in full swing with those Ministers becoming co-decision makers with the Environment Minister on the release of GM crops. If they had been in that position when the Bt brinjal decision was taken, there would be no moratorium.

The Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, has lobbied constantly for GM crops, even during the public consultation and even in his power base of Maharashtra where so many Bt cotton farmers have committed suicide. Pawar's nephew is said to own a Bt cotton seed company.
http://bit.ly/9ALtIt

The Science and Technology Minister, Prithvi Chavan, is another vocal supporter of GM crops who's recently been exposed as having parroted paragraph after paragraph of GM industry lobby material in official Government communications.
http://bit.ly/90Rp2b
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Bt brinjal: PM steps in after Pawar SOS
Indian Express, Feb 23 2010
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Bt-brinjal--PM-steps-in-after-Pawar-SOS/583151

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has stepped in to make it clear that Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh will not have the last word on the introduction of Bt Brinjal or any GM (genetically modified) food.

This comes after a strong note from Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to the Prime Minister last week suggesting that ad hoc decisions on GM foods ”” a clear reference to the moratorium on Bt Brinjal ”” would "set the clock back", demoralise Indian scientists and jeopardies R&D crucial to food security.

Last week, the PM decided to define his government's approach to the introduction of genetically modified (GM) foods after his Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) echoed Pawar's push for frontline technology in agriculture.

Singh called a meeting of Pawar, Ramesh and Science & Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

Sources said the recommendations of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee and the Review Committee of Genetic Manipulation on the safety of transgenic crops would now be considered by this new team ”” the PM, Agriculture, S&T and Environment & Forests Ministers ”” rather than be left to Environment & Forests to decide unilaterally, as happened this time.

This meeting was fixed for today but had to be called off after the Opposition raised the issue of rising prices in Parliament. "A date has not been fixed but it could be this Saturday," said sources.

Ramesh imposed an indefinite moratorium on the introduction of Bt Brinjal on the grounds that sufficient tests had not been conducted to render it safe for public consumption. The manner in which he did it, though, prompted many in the Government to say that it was ideology ”” not science ”” that dictated his decision.

Those who disagreed with him included HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Chavan and Pawar, and finally the PMEAC who favoured the introduction of GM food citing the success of Bt Cotton.

On February 15, Pawar wrote to the PM: "Varieties which have stood the strictest scrutiny of our very elaborate regulatory regime, based purely on scientific analysis, should be vigorously encouraged... Any hesitation on our part would not only set the clock back on our endeavours at an evergreen revolution but completely demoralize our scientific community. It takes years of hard work and extraordinary scientific acumen to conduct research in these areas. Any ad hoc decisions, without adequate consultations, with the main stakeholders that is ICAR and Department of Agriculture, completely jeopardizes the sustained efforts of our agricultural scientists."

He said that his worry was that "any hesitation" could hamper research in India on transgenic variety of potato, rice, mustard, tomato, groundnut, chickpea and pigeon pea currently underway. Seeking a transparent regulatory regime, Pawar said: "Absence of clarity on some of these issues could jeopardize R&D not only by the private seed companies but also by public institutions. I have in mind the recent developments in keeping in abeyance the introduction of Bt Brinjal after approval by the GEAC."

Pawar strongly argued that the success (of Bt Cotton) "needs to be replicated in food, fruit and vegetable crops to ensure long lasting food security." He added that while India was still taking "hesitant steps," the world is moving ahead.

"The global area under these crops has increased by more than 60-fold with 25 countries planting 125 million hectares of GM crops in 2008. Nineteen crops have so far been approved for planting in various countries out of which four namely corn, soyabean, cotton and canola are extensively grown," he said.

The PMEAC held similar views when it released its Review of the Economy (2009-10) last Saturday. "The regulatory framework should clearly assess performance in the field and the impact on environmental and food safety issues and bring the results into the public domain at the shortest possible time."

The controversy has prompted the PMO to push a bill to create a Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India which would be later handed the charge to decide on individual crop and foods.