Contentions and Confirmations over Genetically Modified Technology

Abstract

Abstract The present study, from sociology of science and technology perspectives, examines the socio-political construal of innovations in rice biotechnology research in India with special reference to genetically modified (GM) technology. The primary data for the study has been collected through in-depth personal interviews with 68 molecular biologists and plant breeders engaged in rice biotechnology research in 20 scientific institutions coming under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agricultural Universities (SAU s). Two different case studies have been used to substantiate the arguments. The findings of the study suggest that there is a lack of consensus among the scientific communities over the application of GM technology in rice biotechnology research in India. The initial attempt to develop an Indian version of Golden Rice has failed. The occurrence of multiple anomalies during the experiment of Golden Rice poses serious questions on the scientific and technical reliability of GM technology. Holistically, it has cast doubt on the safety and predictability of Golden Rice in the Indian context. The existing policy framework pertaining to GM technology, particularly technical regulations, suffers from design faults (structural problem) and operator failure (agency failure). The Intellectual Property Rights regime, in one or many forms, appears to obstruct R&D activities in rice biotechnology. The practitioners of rice biotechnology research are resisting such institutional regimes by keeping the Mertonian ethos of science in mind.