Question

The genetically modified crops introduced in India are-
A. Cotton
B. Mustard
C. Wild plants
D. Both A and B

Answer 1

The growing population demands staple crops to have enhanced yield to fulfill the needs of everyone. Cotton and Mustard are both agricultural crops that hold high value in Indian markets.

Complete answer: Genetically modified crops are the crops in which a foreign gene is introduced using advanced genetic engineering techniques which alters the natural genome of the crops. The gene which is introduced in this process which is naturally not seen in these crops is called a transgene. This modification is done for the betterment of several factors related to crops like their yield, their resistance towards various kinds of stresses, their resistance towards different kinds of diseases, etc.
-Mustard is a crop that serves as the primary stock for producing oil in India. As the population is ever-increasing, to meet the demand for food, genetically modified mustards are cultivated to give sufficiently high yield to overcome hunger issues.
-Cotton plants are genetically modified mostly to introduce a disease-resistant gene into them, which on expressing itself provides protection to the crop against pests. Protecting cotton crops from deadly pests automatically increases the yield of the crop. Genetically modified cotton is known as ‘Bt-cotton’. As the transgene inserted in it is taken from a bacteria called ‘ Bacillus thuringiensis ’. It provides resistance against the pest, bollworm. So, both the crops, mustard, and cotton are commercially important crops in India.
Thus, the correct option is option D, i.e., Both A and B
Additional information: Genetically modified crops are also known as Genetically Modified Organisms abbreviated as ‘GMO’. Even though genes for required traits can be introduced into crops for their betterment, there are some sets of rules and guidelines to be followed while experimenting on crops on a genetic level.

Note: The wild plants or wild varieties are usually the plants that have a natural and unaltered set of genes within them. These are not considered as GMOs