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 ?
- A.1 and 3 only
- B.2 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, 2 only. India's GM mustard, Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11), is built for hybrid seed production, not pest resistance. It carries the barnase and barstar genes taken from the soil bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Barnase makes one parent line male-sterile, so it cannot pollinate itself, and barstar in the other line restores fertility; this allows controlled cross-pollination and hybridisation, which statement 2 describes correctly. A third gene, bar, gives herbicide tolerance. Statement 1 is wrong because the soil bacterium's genes in DMH-11 do not give pest resistance; that is the feature of Bt cotton. Statement 3 is wrong because DMH-11 was developed by Delhi University's Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants under Prof. Deepak Pental, not by IARI and Punjab Agricultural University. Option A is wrong because both its statements are false. Option C is wrong because it includes statement 3. Option D is wrong because statements 1 and 3 are false. Exam tip: DMH-11 = barnase-barstar system, Delhi University; Bt cotton = pest resistance.
Practice Questions
View allWhich one of the following is India's first indigenously designed and developed long-range subsonic cruise missile which can be deployed from multiple platforms?
- A.Astra
- B.Akash
- C.Nirbhay
- D.Shankhnaad
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Nirbhay is the long-range subsonic cruise missile designed and developed in India by the DRDO. Nirbhay was developed by DRDO's Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru.
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- A.The college students studying in the undergraduate programme in the age group of 19 - 25 years.
- B.The research scholars in recognized research laboratories of national importance.
- C.The college teachers of the country.
- D.The school children studying in classes 6 - 10 in the age group of 10 - 15 years.
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INSPIRE-MANAK is the school-level part of INSPIRE. INSPIRE is run by the Department of Science and Technology to draw young talent into science.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements is not correct?
- A.BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile made by India and Russian Federation.
- B.The name BrahMos came from two rivers, Brahmaputra of India and Moskva of Russia.
- C.Indian military scientists were capable of integrating BrahMos cruise missile with Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter.
- D.Defence Research and Development Organization is the manufacturer of Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter.
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The Sukhoi-30 MKI is not made by DRDO; it was designed by Russia's Sukhoi bureau and is built in India under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at Nashik.
Read the full explanation →'Tejas' is the name of which one of the following?
- A.Main battle tank
- B.Nuclear submarine
- C.Light combat aircraft
- D.Aircraft carrier
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Tejas is India's indigenous single-engine light combat aircraft built for the Indian Air Force. The Light Combat Aircraft programme was started in the 1980s to replace the ageing MiG-21 fleet.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is an indigenous assault rifle developed by DRDO?
- A.Heckler
- B.T91
- C.Tikka
- D.Ugram
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Ugram is a 7.62 mm assault rifle designed in India by DRDO for the armed forces and police. Ugram was developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, a DRDO laboratory, together with a private Hyderabad firm, Dvipa Armour India, and it was unveiled in January 2024.
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