The Supreme Court of India has allowed the government to go on with its controversial open field trials of the genetically modified (GM) crops in the coming Rabi season.

The apex court of the country refused to put ban on open field trials of GM crops in spite of a court-appointed expert committee's recommendation that such trials should be halted for at least 10 years.

Anti-GM food activist Aruna Rodrigues' lawyer Prashant Bhushan argued that a ban on open field trials of GM crops was indispensable because it could lead to contagion of native species and loss of biodiversity. He cited the example of basmati rice and argued that even the least of contagion could cause India to loose European market worth Rs 14,000 crore.

Seeking a ban on open field trials of GM crops, Bhushan said, "Just as Americans lost, we will lose European markets. This is a very, very serious matter. This is why even the parliamentary committee too had voiced its concern over the GM crops."

But a bench of Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya disagreed with Bhushan's argument, and said that it didn't think that postponing the sowing of the GM Rabi crops would be appropriate.

However, the bench added that it would examine on November 7 technical expert panel's report that sought 10 years halt on certain vital GM crops.