India, Feb. 14 -- There is a small intriguing question about the India-US trade deal that some people believe hasn't got the attention it deserves. Has India been successful in ensuring that genetically modified products or their derivatives are not given access to our market? The government insists that is the case. At a press conference on February 7, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said "no genetically modified items will enter India". But is there room for doubt? That's what I want to explore and examine this Sunday morning.

What we are essentially asking is whether soya bean oil and Dried Distillers Grains (DDGs), on which the duty has either been substantially reduced or, possibly, eliminated altogether, contain traces ...