ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) — Environmental Sciences (subject 71) and Agricultural Meteorology (subject 60) · India · National Testing Agency for ICAR
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersThe diversity of crops, livestock breeds, their wild relatives and farm-associated species, and how it is conserved and shared. Plant breeding itself sits in the crop sciences; this subject is about the conservation and governance of diversity.
In the exams: ICAR AICE subject 71 Unit 2 (agrobiodiversity, transgenics, PGR); ICAR AICE Plant Genetic Resources; UPSC CSE
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF Environmental Sciences (Unit 2) and ICAR plant genetic resources papers
Agrobiodiversity components, Vavilov centres, genetic erosion and vulnerability, CWR gene pools, collecting strategy and passport data, gene bank standards, cryopreservation, on-farm conservation, AnGR and NBAGR, transgenic biosafety and India's regulatory bodies, ITPGRFA, Nagoya and the PPV&FR Act.
How our questions for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF spread across the units of Agrobiodiversity & Genetic Resources. Difficulty: 20 easy, 49 medium, 28 hard.
| Animal genetic resources and breed conservation | 10 | |
| Transgenic crops: environmental risk assessment and biosafety | 10 | |
| Gene banks: seed, field, in-vitro and cryopreservation | 9 | |
| Farmers' rights and plant variety protection | 9 | |
| Centres of origin and diversity of crops | 8 | |
| Crop wild relatives and landraces | 8 | |
| International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture | 8 | |
| Components of agrobiodiversity | 7 | |
| Genetic erosion and its causes | 7 | |
| Exploration and germplasm collection | 7 | |
| On-farm conservation and community seed banks | 7 | |
| Nagoya Protocol and access and benefit-sharing | 7 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
Navara, a medicinal rice of Kerala, has which form of legal recognition?
A. A geographical indication
Navara rice is registered as a geographical indication. Patents and trademarks are other IP forms; Ramsar lists wetlands.
Further reading: GI Registry India
Which is part of the passport data recorded for a germplasm sample?
D. Collecting site coordinates and biological status
Passport descriptors include accession and collecting numbers, taxon, date, location with coordinates and elevation, biological status (wild, landrace, breeding line) and collecting source.
Further reading: FAO/Bioversity multi-crop passport descriptors
Under FAO Genebank Standards, when should an accession be regenerated?
B. When viability falls below 85 % of initial viability
Regeneration is triggered at 85 % of initial viability (or low stock). Waiting until 10 % or complete death loses diversity; monthly regeneration wastes resources and adds drift.
Further reading: FAO Genebank Standards 2014
Village A grows five rice varieties on area shares 0.80, 0.05, 0.05, 0.05 and 0.05; village B grows five varieties at 0.20 each. What are their Simpson diversities (1 − Σp²)?
C. A 0.35; B 0.80
A: 1 − (0.64 + 4 × 0.0025) = 0.35; B: 1 − 5 × 0.04 = 0.80. Richness is equal but evenness differs. Reversing the values, quoting richness or the area shares are slips.
In participatory plant breeding, who takes part in selection?
B. Farmers and breeders together
PPB involves farmers and breeders jointly selecting from diverse material under farm conditions. Station-only, company-only or regulator-only selection is conventional or not breeding.
Further reading: PPB literature
Why can in vitro cryopreserved semen and embryos not fully replace living breed populations?
C. Frozen material does not adapt to changing conditions
Cryobanks provide insurance and can reconstitute breeds, but living populations keep adapting and maintain associated production systems and knowledge. Frozen semen is used routinely; the other statements are false.
Further reading: FAO AnGR guidelines
When did the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture enter into force?
C. 2004
Adopted in 2001, the Treaty entered into force in 2004. 1983 was the International Undertaking; 1992 the CBD; 2014 the Nagoya Protocol's entry into force.
Further reading: ITPGRFA 2001
A company's restricted product derived from MLS material has sales of 10000000. Under the SMTA's 1.1 % less 30 % rule, what payment is due?
A. 77000
Rate = 1.1 % × 0.7 = 0.77 %; payment = 10000000 × 0.0077 = 77000. 110000 omits the 30 % reduction; 33000 is the 30 % deducted; 7700 is a decimal slip.
Further reading: ITPGRFA 2001
Which non-binding FAO instrument (1983) preceded the ITPGRFA and treated plant genetic resources as a heritage of mankind?
B. The International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources
The International Undertaking (1983) was revised in harmony with the CBD and became the binding Treaty in 2001. The Bonn Guidelines (2002) concern ABS under the CBD.
Further reading: FAO 1983
Which TRIPS provision requires WTO members to protect plant varieties by patents, an effective sui generis system, or both?
B. Article 27.3(b)
TRIPS Article 27.3(b) gives this choice; India chose a sui generis law, the PPV&FR Act. Article 31(f) of TRIPS concerns compulsory licences; Article 9 is the ITPGRFA's farmers' rights article.
Further reading: TRIPS Agreement
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