UPSC Civil Services Examination — Environment & Ecology (Prelims GS and Mains GS-III) · India · Union Public Service Commission
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
How our questions for UPSC Civil Services Examination spread across the units of Agrobiodiversity & Genetic Resources. Difficulty: 15 easy, 25 medium, 5 hard.
| Farmers' rights and plant variety protection | 7 | |
| Animal genetic resources and breed conservation | 5 | |
| Transgenic crops: environmental risk assessment and biosafety | 5 | |
| International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture | 5 | |
| Genetic erosion and its causes | 4 | |
| Nagoya Protocol and access and benefit-sharing | 4 | |
| Components of agrobiodiversity | 3 | |
| Centres of origin and diversity of crops | 3 | |
| Crop wild relatives and landraces | 3 | |
| Gene banks: seed, field, in-vitro and cryopreservation | 3 | |
| On-farm conservation and community seed banks | 3 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
The 1970 southern corn leaf blight epidemic in the United States spread widely because most hybrid maize shared what?
C. Texas male-sterile cytoplasm
Hybrids widely used T-cytoplasm, which was susceptible to race T of Bipolaris maydis, illustrating genetic vulnerability. Sowing date, fertiliser and irrigation were not the cause.
Further reading: Genetic vulnerability literature
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 award does India's PPV&FR Authority give to recognise communities and farmers conserving plant genetic resources?
D. Plant Genome Saviour award
The PPV&FR Authority gives Plant Genome Saviour community awards and farmer rewards and recognitions from the National Gene Fund. The other awards have different purposes.
Further reading: PPV&FR Act 2001
Which pest evolved resistance to Bt cotton in India in the years after its approval?
B. Pink bollworm
Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) developed resistance to Cry toxins in Bt cotton. Locusts, planthoppers and fall armyworm are not targets of Bt cotton.
Further reading: Tabashnik and Carrière 2017
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
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
Under the PPV&FR Act, what may farmers NOT do with a protected variety?
D. Sell branded seed of it
Farmers may save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share and sell farm produce including seed, but not seed packaged and labelled as the protected variety (branded seed).
Further reading: PPV&FR Act 2001
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
Which fund under the PPV&FR Act receives benefit-sharing payments and supports conservation by farmers?
A. The National Gene Fund
The National Gene Fund receives benefit-sharing and other payments and funds conservation and awards. The ITPGRFA and Cali funds are international; the disaster fund is unrelated.
Further reading: PPV&FR Act 2001
What right does the 2018 UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants affirm that is relevant to agrobiodiversity?
A. A right to seeds
UNDROP (2018) affirms peasants' right to seeds, including to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed. The other rights are not in the Declaration.
Further reading: UNDROP 2018
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