Step 1: Understanding the Question:
This question pertains to the regulatory status and commercial adoption of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in India.
It asks to identify which of the listed transgenic crops has been approved and is currently grown by Indian farmers for commercial sale.
Detailed Explanation:
• Bt Cotton in India:
Bt Cotton, expressing the Cry genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, was the first and remains the only transgenic crop approved for commercial cultivation in India.
It was officially approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) in March 2002.
It provides resistance against the bollworm complex, a major pest of cotton. Currently, over \( 90\% \) of India's cotton area is under Bt cotton.
• Status of other crops in India:
Brinjal: Bt Brinjal was developed and recommended for release, but the Indian government imposed an indefinite moratorium on its commercialization in 2010 due to environmental and safety concerns. It is not grown commercially in India (though it is in Bangladesh).
Maize: Transgenic maize is widely grown globally (USA, Brazil), but it has not received commercial approval for cultivation in India yet.
Rice: Transgenic rice (like Golden Rice or Bt Rice) is under research and field trials in India, but it has not been cleared for commercial cultivation by farmers.
• Regulatory Framework:
The GEAC under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the apex body that grants such approvals in India. The strict regulatory path has limited the commercial release of food crops.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Cotton is the only transgenic crop currently cultivated on a commercial scale in India.