Which of the following Genetically Modified (GM) crops has been approved for commercial cultivation in India?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Bt Cotton
Bt cotton was approved for commercial cultivation in India in 2002 and is the only genetically modified crop grown commercially in the country. It carries a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that makes a protein poisonous to the bollworm, the main pest of cotton. GM mustard (DMH-11) was cleared for environmental release in 2022, but its commercial cultivation has not begun, as the matter is before the Supreme Court.