In the early 2000s, India’s fields promised to become laboratories of the future. When genetically modified (GM) cotton was approved in 2002, the air was thick with possibility.

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Few innovations have sparked as much debate globally as Golden Rice, engineered to produce beta-carotene, the precursor of Vitamin A. In countries like the Philippines, it was seen as a potential weapon against Vitamin A deficiency, which causes blindness in children.

India, too, has millions of children suffering from micronutrient deficiencies. Yet despite extensive trials, Golden Rice never saw the light of day in India.

The reasons behind India’s hesitation are layered and complex. At one level, it is about trust. Food in India is already viewed with suspicion. Consumers worry about pesticides, adulteration, artificial coloring.

To introduce something that carries the tag “genetically modified” was bound to trigger unease.

At another level, the paralysis is political. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee may recommend approvals, but the final word often rests with ministries wary of public backlash. … The result has been decades of regulatory freeze, where science says one thing but politics decides another.

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