Technology : Biotechnology And Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Q 13 / 34

UPSC CSE Prelims 2018

With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements :

  1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests.
  2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization.
  3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

EXPLANATION

Correct Option

Statement 2 is correct. The Genetically Modified mustard, specifically DMH-11 (Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11), incorporates the barnase-barstar gene system. This system is designed to facilitate hybrid seed production in mustard, which is naturally a self-pollinating crop. The barnase gene confers male sterility, preventing self-pollination, while the barstar gene restores fertility in the hybrid progeny, enabling cross-pollination and the development of high-yielding hybrid varieties.

Incorrect Options

Statement 1 is incorrect. GM mustard (DMH-11) was not developed for pest resistance. Its genetic modification focuses on enabling hybridization for increased yield. Pest resistance, such as that found in Bt crops (e.g., Bt cotton), typically involves genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that produce insecticidal proteins, a mechanism distinct from that used in GM mustard.

Statement 3 is incorrect. GM mustard (DMH-11) was developed by a team led by Dr. Deepak Pental at the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP), University of Delhi. It was not developed jointly by TART (Technology for Application of Rust Resistant Wheat) or Punjab Agricultural University.

SOURCEScience & Technology by Ravi Agrahari, Chapter: Biotechnology