A large number of genetically modified (GM) crops, including both food and non-food crops carrying novel traits have been developed and released for commercial agriculture production. Soybean, maize, canola and cotton for the traits insect resistance and herbicide tolerance are the main crops under commercial cultivation worldwide. In addition, many other GM crops are under development and not yet released commercially. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its report, the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2017, highlights the severity of food security and malnourishment problem in most of the Asian and developing countries. GM crops could be an option for nutrients enhancement and yield increase in major crops and solve the problem of malnourishment and food security. India has progressed tremendously in GM crops research, evaluation and monitoring in last two decades but regulatory system impeded gravely due to lack of coordination and common stand on GM technology across different governments, ministries and departments. The increasing cultivation of genetically modified crops has raised a wide range of concerns with respect to food safety, environmental effects and socioeconomic issues. Here, we discussed the current status of GM crops research, regulatory framework, and challenges involved with transgenic plants research in India.

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Biotic and abiotic stress particularly fungal diseases and salinity are major challenges facing mango cultivations in Oman. Micropropagation technique for multiplying disease resistant and salinity tolerant elite cultivars could be utilized to replace dead and infected plants in mango orchards but standardize in-vitro regeneration protocol via somatic embryogenesis is prerequisite. Nucellar tissues from immature mango fruits of monoembryonic cultivars Alphonso, Amrapali, Dashehari and Zafran, and polyembryonic cultivars Carabao and Turpentine were used as explants to induce somatic embryogenesis plantlets. Gamborg's B5 macronutrients, Murashige and Skoog micronutrients, iron source, vitamins and organics were used as standard basal media for all types of media used at each stage of somatic embryo development and regeneration. Induction medium 2 containing 2 mg/l 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.5 mg/l 6-Benzylaminopurine were induced highest percentage of primary somatic embryos for Alphonso (22.08%) while induction medium 3 having 1 mg/l 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid with sucrose 60 gm/l and induction medium 1 containing 1 mg/l 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.25 mg/l 6-Benzylaminopurine induced highest percentage of primary somatic embryos in Carabao (29.17%) and Turpentine (42.71%) respectively. Maximum somatic embryo germination were achieved in germination medium 2 containing 0.1 mg/l Indole-3-acetic acid and 0.5 mg/l Gibberellic acid for Alphonso (7.34%) and Turpentine (3.34%) while for Carabao (18.59%) in germination medium 1 which does not contain any plant growth regulators. Germinated plantlets are surviving well in ex-vitro conditions after 4 months of transfer to greenhouse and survival rate of 66.66% for Alphonso, 26.68% for Carabao and 49.16% for Turpentine was obtained.