Loud demand from agri orgns for NBPGR Director Bansal to be removed

November 3, 2012

To:

Mr Sharad Pawar,

Minister for Agriculture,

Government of India.

Dear Shri Sharad Pawar,

Sub: Demanding removal of Dr K C Bansal from the post of NBPGR Director, apropos media reports on false patent claim by Dr Bansal, based on RTI responses

There have been several media reports, apart from internal correspondence within DARE about the infractions of Dr K C Bansal, appointed to head a prestigious and important institution in DARE in India, the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR). The latest is a report in Mail Today on October 29^th 2012, titled “Top GM Researcher Falsified Patent Claim to Grab National Award” (available online at http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/genetically-modified-food-crops-researcher-kailash-c-bansal-grabbed-rafi-ahmed-kidwai-award-for-patent-claim/1/226654.html).

Based on previous RTI responses and its own investigations, the report clearly points out how Dr Bansal made a false claim about filing a patent application for insertion of a foreign gene in brinjal chloroplast and was given the prestigious Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award in July 2009 based on such fictitious claim. This is outright scientific fraud and if a senior technocrat can make such a false claim, how is the invaluable germplasm collection of this country being entrusted into his hands and leadership in NBPGR?

There are also reports about how the recruitment of Dr Bansal was done in violation of several guidelines that are in place for ASRB recruitments – this pertains to his Confidential Reports from 2004 to 2010 which were not handed over, despite these being essential for his promotion/selection to higher posts, in addition to questions on the selection panel apparently constituted twice over to ensure his selection.

What qualifies him to head an institution which is supposed to collect and protect germplasm wealth for the country?

There is also the unanswered letter from Dr P Anandakumar, (then superior officer of Dr Bansal and head of National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology (NRCPB)) on the fact that Dr Bansal did not hand over his research materials to NRCPB and the work on eight claimed GM events in tomato, mustard, wheat etc. This puts a big question mark on crores of rupees spent in the GM research work that he is supposed to have been involved in, and further puts a question mark on the ICAR transgenic research programme involving 20 institutes all over the country (with the budget exceeding 135 crore rupees).

We are attaching RTI replies as evidence to the allegations against Dr Bansal.

Just as the ICAR set up a 3-member committee headed by Prof Sopory for an independent investigation into the Bt Bikaneri Narma scandal (the report of which has not been made public yet, though submitted some time ago), why is a similar action not being taken in the case of these allegations? Why is the extra favour being bestowed on Dr Bansal, if not as a payback for his extra support to GM technology, and hobnobbing with MNCs and industry associations?

We demand an immediate removal of Dr Bansal from his post for the falsification of patent claim given that this is clearly unscientific and unethical. We also demand an independent investigation into all the other allegations against him urgently.

Sincerely,

Kavitha Kuruganti

Convenor (Mob. 09393001550)

ENDORSED BY:

1. Afsar Jafri, Focus on the Global South, India
2. AM Raja-President CIFA, Tamil Nadu Chapter
3. Ananthasayanan, Safe Food Alliance, Chennai
4. Anuj Grover, AID India volunteer
5. Arun, President, Dharmapuri District.Organic Farmers’ Association
6. Aruna Rodrigues, Sunray Harvesters
7. Arunima Swain, ORRISSA
8. B K U, Ekta, Punjab
9. Babychan, (Thanal) Organic Bazaar
10. Balaji Shankar, Tharchaarbu Iyakkam
11. Bharat Mansata, EarthCare Books
12. C. Rathinasamy, Thamilaga Vivasayegal Sangam
13. C. Vayapuri, President, United Farmers Association of Tamil Nadu
14. Channabasappa Kombli, Desi Krushikara Balaga,Haveri
15. Cheran, President, Cauvery Delta Farmers Organisations Federation
16. Chinnasamy, Thamilaga Vivasayegal Sangam
17. D.V.Sreedhar, GoodNews India Foundation
18. Dalit Adivasi Sanghatan, Bundelkhand
19. Datta Patil, Hamara Beej Abhiyan
20. David Amalanadane, concerned citizen
21. Debjeet Sarangi, Living Farms
22. Dr Amar Singh Azad, Kheti Virasat Mission
23. Dr Debal Deb, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies
24. Dr G V Ramanjaneyulu, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture
25. Dr Harpal Singh Sangwan, Agricos
26. Dr Jeevanatham, President, Tamilnadu Green Movement
27. Dr K Babu Rao, scientist
28. Dr Krishnabir Chaudhary, President, Bharat Krishak Samaj
29. Dr N.S.Palanisamy,President and Ex.MLA, Tamil Nadu Vivasayegal Sangam
30. Dr Pushpa Bhargava, ANVESHNA
31. Dr Rukmini Rao, Gramya Resource Centre for Women
32. Dr G Shivaraman, Siddha doctor and environmentalist
33. Dr Ponnammal Natarajan, Retd Dean, Anna University
34. Dr Vandana Shiva, Navdanya
35. Eashwar Chand Tripathi, Bhartiya Kisan Union, MP
36. Gomathinayagam, President, Vivasaya Seva Sangam
37. Guruswamy, Kollegala Organic Growers Association
38. H R Prakash, ARTIC
39. Harish Vasudevan, Jaiva Karshaka Samithy
40. Jagannathan, Nalla keerai, Thiuvellore
41. Jasveen Jairath, SOUL
42. Jayakumar, Thanal
43. Jayaraman, CREATE
44. K P Ilias, One Earth One Life
45. K.Jagadeesan, Advisor, Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Mill Owners Association
46. Kabir Arora, Indian Youth Climate Network
47. Kannaiyan Subramaniam, South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements
48. Kapil Shah, Jatan Trust
49. Karpagam, organic farmer, Point Return, Maduranthagam
50. Kiran Kumar Vissa, Rythu Swarajya Vedika
51. Kongu Kolandaisamy, President, Horticultural Farmers’ Association
52. Krishna Prasad, Sahaja Samrudha
53. Kuppusamy, President, Organic Farmers Association, Salem Dist.
54. L Prabakaran, Tamil Nadu Science Forum, Pudukottai Dist.
55. Laxman Singh, Lok Jagriti Manch (Jhabua)
56. Leo Saldanha, Environment Support Group (ESG)
57. Nagappa Nimbegondi, Millet Savers Association of Karnataka
58. Nallasamy, President, Federation of Tamilnadu Farmers Association
59. Naresh Sirohi, General Secretary, Bharatiya Kisan Morcha
60. Nilesh Desai, Beej Swaraj Abhiyan
61. Osai Managing Trustee, Coimbatore
62. Pamayan, Thaalanmai Uzhavar Iyakam
63. Pandurang Hegde, Chipko-Appiko Movement
64. Pankaj Bhushan, Tara Foundation
65. Ponnaiyan, President, Tamilnadu Tharsarbu Vivasayegal Sangam
66. Rachna Arora Verma, Public Awareness on GM Foods
67. Radha Gopalan, Rishi Valley
68. Radhika Rammohan, Restore, Chennai
69. Raghu Menon, concerned citizen
70. Raja Chidambaram, Perambalur President of Thamilaga Vivasayegal Sangam
71. Raja Dharmendar Gogu, Chetna Organic Farmers’ Association
72. Rajesh Krishnan, Greenpeace India
73. Rajkrishna Mukherjee, DRCSC
74. Ramasubramanian, Samanvaya Consulting, Chennai
75. Ramprasad S, Chetna Organic
76. S Jeevan Kumar, Human Rights Forum
77. S Narendran, concerned citizen
78. Sadagopan, President, Tamilnadu Vivasayegal Valvurimai Sangam
79. Sakthivel, SEWA President, Erode
80. Samir Paleja, Senior Reporter (Mumbai)
81. Sangeetha Sriram, Restore gardens, Chennai
82. Saroj Mohanty, Paschim Odisha Krushak Sanghatan
83. Selvam Ramaswamy, Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers’ Federation
84. Shivaputra, Malnad Rice Growers Association
85. Shivayogi Makeri, Desi Cotton Growers Association, Karnataka
86. Sidharth Jaiswal, Go Green Herbs Pvt Ltd
87. Sridhar Radhakrishnan, Coalition for a GM-Free India
88. Sreedevi Lakshmi Kutty, Urban Leaves
89. Suresh, PUCL
90. Surya Kanchan, Thalaanmai
91. Thirumalai, Nalla Sandhai, Thiruvellore
92. Umendra Dutt, Kheti Virasat Mission
93. Usha Jayakumar, Save Our Rice campaign
94. V Suresh, PUCL Member, Tamil Nadu Coimbatore Unit
95. Valukkuparai Balasubramanian, President, Thamilaga Vivasayegal Sangam
96. Vijay Pratap, SADED
97. Yudhvir Singh, Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements