Scientific fraud by Indian Government on Gene-Edited Rice, Exposed
- Selva Karthik
- Jun 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 21
On May 4, 2025, India's Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced ICAR has developed two genome-edited rice varieties — Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 ‘Kamala’.
Pusa DST-1 was claimed to outperform its non-GM parent in saline and alkaline soils, while Kamala, derived from non-GM parent Samba Mahsuri, was declared to yield 17% higher, mature 20 days earlier, and use nitrogen more efficiently.
The announcement was followed by widespread media coverage, interviews with scientists, and glowing explainers about these gene edited rice.
ICAR is an autonomous public body working under Ministry of Agriculture. It is the largest network of Agriculture research and Agri-educational institutions in the world. The Council is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country. Every year, around crores of Public taxed money is being allocated to ICAR by Union Government of India for its functioning.
Recently, Coalition for GM free India, held a press conference. They have cited ICAR’s own official trial data, the Coalition revealed how the results for two genome-edited rice varieties — Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) — have been rigged and hyped to manufacture false claims of success.
They have presented data extracted from the Annual Progress Reports (2023 and 2024) of ICAR’s All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice (AICRPR), available in the public domain. The findings expose the pattern of scientific manipulation, where ICAR’s conclusions directly contradict its own data. They have also presented a detailed report on how ICAR manipulated data to mislead public on gene-edited rice.
Pusa DST-1: Contradictions, Missing Data, and False Conclusions
According to ICAR’s own reports:
No testing data for the claimed drought or salinity tolerance in 2023 due to “limited seed quantity.”
-4.8% (lower) yield compared to the non-GM parent(MTU-1010) in 2023 trials.
In 12 of 20 sites, the genome-edited line underperformed.
In 2024, no yield advantage in coastal or inland salinity trials; only a 1.6% marginal gain in alkaline soils.
Yet, the summary table on Page 9.27 claims “30% higher yield” — selectively drawing on results from just 8 locations in one zone.
The report even admits that in coastal salinity conditions, “no yield superiority was observed” (Page 6.58) — and still concludes the variety as “promising”.
DRR Dhan 100 ‘Kamala’: Contradictory Data and Concealed Failures
Kamala was projected as a miracle variety — with 17% higher yield, early maturity, and superior nitrogen use efficiency. The truth from ICAR’s own documents is far from it:
In 2023, Kamala underperformed in 8 of 19 trial sites.
In two zones (Eastern and Central), it performed significantly worse than its parent.
In the Southern Zone, the supposed yield gain was only 4.3%.
In 2024, data from several sites was excluded without explanation, and results from just six sites were used to project a +17.21% yield advantage. The data for such a conclusion is not shown.
The overall mean yield was 4% lower than the parent variety, and no published field data supports the claim of “20 days earlier maturity.”
The reports even admit data inconsistencies between the same check entries — yet those discrepancies were conveniently removed before drawing conclusions. Click here to read detailed report of ICAR misled the public.
Question of India’s Scientific Integrity:
The Coalition said that these manipulations are not minor errors but a dangerous pattern of bad science, repeated over time to justify controversial technologies. Contradictions exist even in basic parameters — like panicle density (per Sq/M), days taken for 50% flowering, and grain quality — all altered to suit the fake narrative.
“Doing bad science in agriculture, that too from the public sector, has a direct bearing on the lives and livelihoods of millions of farmers,” said Kavitha Kuruganti, activist and Coalition for GM free India member. “It is not to be taken lightly — this becomes a matter of fundamental human rights. How can the jumla culture be allowed to enter the scientific arena at all? It is up to India’s upright scientists to call out this fraud and ensure that our scientific establishment does not bring shame on itself.”
Further the Coalition for a GM-Free India demanded:
Immediate withdrawal of all promotional claims about genome-edited rice varieties.
An independent, transparent scientific review of ICAR’s AICRPR trial data and methodology.
Public accountability of ICAR and the Ministry of Agriculture for misleading the nation.
A moratorium on genome-edited crop releases until credible biosafety regulations and independent oversight mechanisms are in place. All genome editing to be brought under stringent regulations, and all reports related to the R&D of these varieties to be placed in the public domain.
Its also important to remember that the Supreme Court, in its 2023 Judgment, ordered a nationwide consultation with all stakeholder like farmers and health experts should happen to formulate a National policy on GM crops. Until then, no environmental release of GMO should happen in India. Till now, India has not had public consultation or a national policy for GM Crops. This move of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and ICAR is clear contempt of Court and Justice of India. Yet, they have gone far on scientific fraud and contempt of court leading way for Genetic contamination of Indigenous rices of India.
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References and Further Reading:
It is important to remember India is the land of agrarian diversity. India, in 1950s, had 2 lakh varieties of Indigenous paddy varieties that were developed by India farmers for thousands of years. Out of this, right now, we have less than 4 thousand varieties. Rest, 98% of Indigenous rice varieties developed for thousand years is extinct in 60 years. To know more about it Read our report on "Truth about Green Revolution"
FULL PRESENTATION WITH DATA TABLES on ICAR data manipulation CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE – Errata published on 1/11/2025 – In Slide 10, In 12 out of 19 sites; In Slide 18, heading of bottom table is Rabi 2023-24
ICAR annual progress report, 2023,
ICAR Annual progress report, 2024,
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