---
title: "Genetically Modified Organism (GMO): Meaning"
description: "A genetically modified organism (GMO) has altered DNA through gene-editing techniques, impacting agriculture and regulatory processes in India and beyond."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/genetically-modified-organism"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A genetically modified organism is any plant, animal, or microbe whose genetic material has been altered using recombinant DNA or gene-editing techniques rather than natural recombination.
- Which authority approves the commercial release of a GMO in India?
- Is Bt brinjal cultivated in India?
- How does Indian regulation treat gene-edited crops differently from transgenic GMOs?
- What international agreement governs the cross-border movement of GMOs?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

A genetically modified organism is any plant, animal, or microbe whose genetic material has been altered using recombinant DNA or gene-editing techniques rather than natural recombination.

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## Timeline

1. 29 January 2000

   The international legal architecture rests on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, adopted in Montreal on under the Convention on Biological Diversity and i…

2. 11 September 2003

   The international legal architecture rests on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, adopted in Montreal on 29 January 2000 under the Convention on Biological…

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In October 2022, India's Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee recommended the environmental release of GM mustard hybrid DMH-11, a decision later contested before the Supreme Court, which issued a split verdict in July 2024.

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