{"id":46524,"date":"2025-05-05T10:16:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T04:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=46524"},"modified":"2025-10-13T12:02:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T06:32:49","slug":"icar-launches-worlds-first-genome-edited-rice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/icar-launches-worlds-first-genome-edited-rice\/","title":{"rendered":"ICAR Launches World&#8217;s First Genome-Edited Rice: Kamala &#038; Pusa DST Rice 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s in Today\u2019s Article?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Genome-Edited Rice Latest News<\/li>\n<li>Genome Editing (GE) in Plants and GM Crops<\/li>\n<li>ICAR Develops Two Genome-Edited Rice Varieties<\/li>\n<li>Practical Benefits of ICAR\u2019s New Genome-Edited Rice Varieties<\/li>\n<li>Significance of the Breakthrough in Genome-Edited Paddy<\/li>\n<li>India\u2019s Push for Genome Editing in Agriculture<\/li>\n<li>Genome-Edited Rice FAQs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Genome-Edited Rice Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indian-council-of-agricultural-research-icar\/\" target=\"_blank\">ICAR<\/a> has developed the <strong>world\u2019s first genome-edited rice varieties<\/strong> featuring higher yields, drought and salinity tolerance, and improved nitrogen-use efficiency, making them climate-resilient and water-conserving.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Genome Editing (GE) in Plants and GM Crops<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Genome editing in plants refers to making precise, targeted changes to a plant&#8217;s DNA without introducing foreign genetic material.\n<ul>\n<li>It uses technologies like <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/crispr-cas9\/\" target=\"_blank\">CRISPR-Cas9<\/a> to edit specific DNA sequences within a plant&#8217;s existing genome.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>This can involve deleting, inserting, or modifying DNA at precise locations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>On the other hand, GM crops involve inserting genes from other organisms into the plant&#8217;s genome.<\/li>\n<li>In essence, genome editing modifies existing DNA, while GM crops introduce new DNA.<\/li>\n<li>India has exempted GE crops from biosafety regulations under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986.\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>These regulations govern both field trials and release for commercial cultivation in the case of GM crops.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>ICAR Develops Two Genome-Edited Rice Varieties<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>ICAR has developed the world\u2019s first genome-edited rice varieties\u2014<strong>DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)<\/strong> and <strong>Pusa DST Rice 1<\/strong>\u2014to enhance yield, drought and salinity tolerance, and nitrogen-use efficiency, without using any foreign DNA.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Developed by:<\/strong> ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad<\/li>\n<li><strong>Parent Variety:<\/strong> Samba Mahsuri (BPT 5204)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gene Targeted:<\/strong><i>Cytokinin Oxidase 2 (CKX2 or Gn1a)<\/i><\/li>\n<li><strong>Technology Used:<\/strong> Site Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN1) genome editing\n<ul>\n<li>SDN1 uses DNA-cutting enzymes (nucleases) to create a targeted break in the DNA at a specific location.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Key Traits:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Early maturity (~130 days; 20 days earlier than parent)<\/li>\n<li>Drought tolerance<\/li>\n<li>High nitrogen-use efficiency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Superior yield<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5.37 tonnes\/ha<\/strong> (vs. 4.5 t\/ha for parent) \u2013 <i>19% increase<\/i><\/li>\n<li><strong>Up to 9 t\/ha<\/strong> under optimal conditions<\/li>\n<li>Retains the grain and cooking quality of Samba Mahsuri<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recommended Zones:<\/strong> Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala (Zone VII), Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh (Zone V), Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal (Zone III).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Pusa DST Rice 1<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Developed by:<\/strong> ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi<\/li>\n<li><strong>Parent Variety:<\/strong> MTU1010<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gene Targeted:<\/strong><i>Drought and Salt Tolerance (DST)<\/i> gene<\/li>\n<li><strong>Technology Used:<\/strong> SDN1 genome editing<\/li>\n<li><strong>Key Traits:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Drought and salinity tolerance<\/li>\n<li>Enhanced yield under stress conditions:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Inland salinity:<\/strong> 3,508 kg\/ha (<i>9.66% higher than MTU1010<\/i>)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alkaline soils:<\/strong> 3,731 kg\/ha (<i>14.66% higher<\/i>)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Coastal salinity:<\/strong> 2,493 kg\/ha (<i>30.4% higher<\/i>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Contains no foreign DNA, comparable to conventional varieties<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recommended Zones:<\/strong> Same as Kamala \u2013 major rice-growing states across India<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Practical Benefits of ICAR\u2019s New Genome-Edited Rice Varieties<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Higher Yields, Lower Emissions<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Cultivating <strong>DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)<\/strong> and <strong>Pusa DST Rice 1<\/strong> over 5 million hectares can:\n<ul>\n<li>Increase paddy production by 4.5 million tonnes<\/li>\n<li>Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32,000 tonnes (approx. 20%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Significant Water Savings<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Kamala&#8217;s shorter maturity period<\/strong> allows for:\n<ul>\n<li>Three fewer irrigations<\/li>\n<li>Savings of 7,500 million cubic metres of irrigation water, which can benefit other crops<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use of Safe and Award-Winning Technology<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Developed using <strong>CRISPR-Cas9<\/strong> genome-editing technology, awarded the <strong>2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>No foreign DNA used; only native gene edits to enhance traits<\/li>\n<li>Follows <strong>Site Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN1) and SDN2<\/strong> methods \u2014 considered equivalent to natural mutations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Exempt from Stringent GMO Regulations<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Under India&#8217;s Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, SDN1 and SDN2 crops are:\n<ul>\n<li>Exempt from strict GMO rules<strong> (Rules 7\u201311)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Classified as genome-edited, not genetically modified<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regulatory Clearances Granted<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBC) of ICAR approved the lines<\/li>\n<li>Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) cleared them in May 2023<\/li>\n<li>Declared safe under India\u2019s <strong>simplified regulatory framework<\/strong> for genome-edited crops<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>IPR Concerns Being Addressed<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Some concerns exist about the <strong>Intellectual Property Rights<\/strong> of the genome-editing technology, but ICAR has assured they are being looked into and will be resolved in due course<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Significance of the Breakthrough in Genome-Edited Paddy<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Paddy: India\u2019s Most Critical Foodgrain Crop<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Paddy is the main kharif crop and occupies <strong>one-third of India\u2019s foodgrain cultivation area<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>It contributes about <strong>40% to the total foodgrain basket<\/strong>, making it essential for national food security.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Major paddy-growing states include<\/strong>: West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Assam.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Paddy Production Paradox<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India had the <strong>largest area under paddy cultivation (45 million ha)<\/strong> globally in 2020.<\/li>\n<li>But in production, India <strong>ranked second<\/strong> (186.5 million tonnes) after <strong>China<\/strong> (211 million tonnes).<\/li>\n<li>The gap is due to <strong>lower yield<\/strong> in India:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>India<\/strong>: 4,138 kg\/ha<\/li>\n<li><strong>World average<\/strong>: 4,717 kg\/ha<\/li>\n<li><strong>China<\/strong>: 7,043 kg\/ha<\/li>\n<li><strong>Indonesia<\/strong>: 5,128 kg\/ha<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bangladesh<\/strong>: 4,809 kg\/ha<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>India\u2019s Push for Genome Editing in Agriculture<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Beyond Rice: Genome Editing in Other Crops<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Genome-editing research is underway for <strong>oilseeds and pulses<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The University of Delhi has already developed a genome-edited mustard variety.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Government Support and Funding<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The Indian government has allocated <strong>\u20b9500 crore<\/strong> for <strong>genome-editing research<\/strong> in agricultural crops to boost yield and climate resilience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Genome-Edited Rice FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> What is genome-edited rice?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Genome-edited rice involves precise gene changes using CRISPR, improving traits without introducing foreign DNA.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong> Which are ICAR\u2019s new genome-edited rice varieties?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1 are ICAR\u2019s newly developed genome-edited rice varieties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.<\/strong> What traits do Kamala and Pusa DST Rice 1 offer?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> They offer higher yield, drought and salinity tolerance, and better nitrogen-use efficiency.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong> How is genome editing different from GM crops?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Genome editing modifies native DNA; GM crops insert foreign genes from other organisms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong> Are genome-edited rice varieties regulated like GMOs in India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> No, they are exempt from GMO regulations under India\u2019s Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-sci-tech\/first-2-new-genome-edited-rice-varieties-significance-agri-9981869\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/icar.org.in\/union-agriculture-minister-shri-shivraj-singh-chouhan-announces-two-genome-edited-rice-varieties\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ICAR<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/icar-worlds-first-genome-edited-rice-varieties-to-boost-yields-30\/articleshowprint\/120883169.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ToI<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ICAR unveils the first genome-edited rice with high yield, drought and salinity tolerance, boosting climate resilience and water savings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":46525,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-46524","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}