India, Sept. 17 -- Seventeen scientists, who consistently advocated Genetically Modified (GM) crops in India, are anxious to revive GMs despite the Centre's growing emphasis on organic farming and native cattle breeds to boost nutritional standards nationwide. The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and the Rashtriya Gokul Mission are gaining popularity among farmers. Alarmed at the scale of soil degradation in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence day address, urged the farmers to reduce consumption of chemical fertilisers by at least 25 per cent.

Almost parallel to this plea, in Current Science (Vol 117, No 3, August 10, 2019), the scientists suggest that GM food crops, ie, Bt-Brinjal that was placed under a morat...