ITEM NO

ITEM NO.1                    COURT NO.1                     SECTION PIL

              S U P R E M E   C O U R T   O F   I N D I A

                           RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO(s). 260 OF 2005

ARUNA RODRIGUES & ORS.                                    Petitioner(s)

                        VERSUS

UNION OF INDIA & ORS.                                     Respondent(s)

(With appln(s) for directions, intervention, interim Relief, stay, vacation/modification of Court's   Order   dated   22.9.2006,ad   interim  orders, impleadment, clarification   of   court's order and office report ) WITH W.P(C) NO. 115 of 2004 (With appln. for directions )(For final disposal)

Date: 08/05/2007  These Petitions were called on for hearing today.

CORAM :

        HON'BLE  THE CHIEF JUSTICE

        HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TARUN CHATTERJEE

        HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D.K. JAIN

For Petitioner(s)        Mr. Prashant Bhushan,Adv.

                         Mr. Sanjay Parikh, Adv.

                         Ms. Anitha Shenoy, Adv.

                                  Mr. A.N. Singh, Adv.

                                  Mr. Jitin Sahni, Adv.

For Respondent(s) Mr. A. Sharan, ASG

                                  Ms. Shashi Kiran, Adv.

                                  Mrs. Anita Sahani, Adv.

                                  Mr. D.S. Mehra, Adv.

                                   For Mrs Anil Katiyar,Adv.

                               Mr. Abhijat P. Medh ,Adv

                               Mr. Jitendra Mohan Sharma ,Adv

                                  Mr. S. Hariharan ,Adv

                                  Mr. Rajeshwari H., Adv.

                                       Ms. Srikala Gurukrishna Kumar ,Adv

           UPON hearing counsel the Court made the following

                               O R D E R

        I.A.No.4,14 & 15

        Union   of   India   is   seeking   modification   of   the   order   passed   by   this Court on 22.9.2006.  By the said order, this Court  had directed the Genetic Engineering   Approval   Committee   (GEAC)   to   withhold   approvals   till   further instructions   to   be   issued   by   this   Court   on   hearing   of   all   concerned.     The learned ASG submits that in view of the order passed by this Court, GEAC is not in a position to grant approval to various applications which are pending with the  said  authority.   All  these application  are   for  conducting  field  trials on   various   varieties   of   plants.     GEAC,   during   the   period   2.5.2006   to 22.9.2006, granted approvals in respect of 24 items in respect of Bt cotton, Bt Cauli flower, Bt Brinjal, Bt rice, Transgenic rice, Bt Castor, Ground nut, Transgenic tomato, potato, and other items.   The field trials are going on in espect  of these items and  this Court in the said order also  noticed that  91 field testings have been going on.

        Mr.   Prashant   Bhushan,   learned   counsel   for   the   petitioner   submits that   as   regards   these   field   trials   sufficient   precautions   are   not   being   taken and it is likely that there would be serious Polan Flow contamination to the plants of similar species of the neighboring fields.

        The GEAC shall take sufficient precautions to see that these trials are not causing any contamination to the cultivation of neighboring fields. There should   be   at   least   200   meters   distance   from   the   trial   fields   from   the neighboring field   having same type of cultivations.   All the trials which are being   conducted,   the   name   of   the   scientist   and   other   details   who   will   be responsible for all aspects of the trials should be reported to GEAC and they should   be   regular   supervision   by   them.     Prior   to   bringing   out   the   GM material from the green house for conduct of open field trials, the approved institution should submit a validated event   specific test protocol at an LOD of at least 0.01% to detect and confirm that there has been no contamination.

       As   regards   Bt   cotton,   we   are   told   that   GEAC   has   already   granted approval for commercial use of Bt. cotton Cry 1 Ac MON 531, Cry 1 Ac & Cry 2 Ab   MON,   GFM   Cry   1A   gene   and     Cry   1AC   gene   (Event   1).     Several applicants   sought   for   permission   to   use   Bt   cotton   for   commercially.     The applications are pending with the GEAC. As regards these four species of Bt cotton  varieties,  the GEAC  may give  permission  for  commercial  use, subject to the  usual  conditions imposed.    GEAC  should  also  satisfy  itself that  these events   are   not   further   genetically   modified   so   that   no   further   species   are

created by such modification.   GEAC should also verify whether these species by commercial  use create  any toxicity  or  allergenicity  to any  of the users in organic conducted with these varieties of Bt cotton. If any such test has been conducted, the data should be made available to this Court.

       I.As. are disposed of accordingly.

       Post the matter in August, 2007.

        (R.K. DHAWAN)                                    (VEERA VERMA)

         COURT MASTER                                   COURT MASTER