Probe into rice germplasm row

However, IGAU Director Research R.V.S. Tripathi says that while a three-member team of a Swiss-based company, Syngenta, including a scientist, had visited Raipur on October 23 to sign an MoU with the university, the deal was postponed as some varsity scientists raised objections regarding opening up of the germplasm database. Opposition parties have also picked up the issue, with the BJP demanding a CBI inquiry.

At a press conference here today, IGAU Vice-Chancellor Dr V.K. Patil sought to put the apprehensions at rest, saying the discussions with Syngenta were only at a preliminary stage and the deal doesn8217;t mean 8216;8216;sell-off of the rich rice germplasm varieties available with us8217;8217;.

However, there seems to be some confusion on the exact nature of the talks. While Patil and Syngenta representative Ajay Sarkar in Mumbai say they are talking 8216;8216;collaboration on hybrid rice research8217;8217;, Tripathi insists that8217;s not part of the plan at all. According to him, IGAU does not want to conduct joint research with Syngenta but sought the multinational8217;s help to market the varsity8217;s seed varieties across the globe.

But Sarkar says Syngenta and IGAU hope to develop hybrid varieties of rice 8216;8216;which meet specific requirements of farmers, like drought-tolerance, better grain quality and higher yield8217;8217;.

V-C Patil too said today that Syngenta had proposed to make funds available for research to develop hybrid varieties from the germplasm available as well as offered royalty to the university for marketing the hybrid paddy. He added he had made it clear to the company that a final decision would be taken only after consultation with agriculture scientists, the varsity8217;s academic council, the Indian Council for Agriculture Research ICAR and the state government.

According to him, a 15-point draft MoU, which was to be implemented for five years, was also discussed in detail, but university officials did not agree with several points mentioned in it.

One of these apparently was Syngenta8217;s request to be allowed to utilise the germplasm. Patil said the university made it clear that the germplasm will be utilised by IGAU only.

Asked whether the university had taken the state government or the ICAR into confidence before starting talks for such a collaboration, Patil reiterated that the process was at a preliminary stage. 8216;8216;We would have taken everyone concerned into confidence once a clear picture emerged.8217;8217;

But sources say Director of National Rice Research Institute, Hyderabad, B. Mishra, who was here last month, advised Patil against any attempt to allow Syngenta access to the germplasm. Ilina Sen, Chairperson of the Chhattisgarh Seed Conservation Society, warns that her organisation might seek court intervention if the university goes ahead with the reported move.

Governor Sahay, also Chancellor of the university, told The Indian Express he had taken a serious note of the matter and has asked Chief Minister Ajit Jogi to initiate a high-level probe.

University scientists who are opposing any such tie-up say that if IGAU lets Syngenta access to the database, it would be a serious violation of intellectual property rights.