Read the Passage carefully and answer the questions.
Insulin consists of two short polypeptide chains: chain A and chain B, that are linked together by disulphide bridges. The first clinical gene therapy was given in 1990 to a 4-year old girl with adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency. This enzyme is crucial for the immune system to function. Recombinant DNA technology, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Enzyme Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA) are some of the techniques that serve the purpose of early diagnosis of diseases. Transgenic animals that produce useful biological products can be created by the introduction of the portion of DNA (or genes) which codes for a particular product such as human protein (α-1-antitrypsin) used to treat emphysema. Biopiracy is the term used to refer to the use of bio-resources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned without compensatory payment.
In 1997, an American company got patent rights on Basmati rice through the US Patent and Trademark Office. This allowed the company to sell a 'new' variety of Basmati, in the US and abroad. This 'new' variety of Basmati had actually been derived from Indian farmer's varieties. Indian Basmati was crossed with semi-dwarf varieties and claimed as an invention or a novelty. This is a case of:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Biopiracy
Biopiracy is the use of bio-resources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned, and without compensatory payment. The Basmati case fits: a variety derived from Indian farmers’ Basmati was patented abroad as a new invention.
Option (1) Competitive market — Incorrect. It describes open trade among sellers; it says nothing about using another country’s bio-resources without permission.
Option (2) Bioresources — Incorrect. Bioresources are the plants, animals and genes themselves, here the Basmati varieties; they are what was taken, not the name of the act.
Option (3) Biopiracy — Correct. The American company patented a ‘new’ Basmati that had been derived from Indian farmers’ varieties. Using bio-resources without proper authorisation and without compensatory payment to the people and country concerned is biopiracy.
Option (4) Commercialization — Incorrect. It means bringing a product to market, which can be done fairly and legally.
Note: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.