Prelims 2012 · archive
EasyOther than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created?
- 1.To enable them to withstand drought.
- 2.To increase the nutritive value of the produce.
- 3.To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations.
- 4.To increase their shelf life.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 4 only
Genetic engineering has produced crops that tolerate drought, carry more nutrients (e.g. Vitamin A-enriched golden rice) and last longer after harvest (e.g. the delayed-ripening Flavr Savr tomato). Growing plants and carrying out photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations is not one of the established aims of crop genetic engineering. So 1, 2 and 4 are correct.
- ✓ 1. GM crops have been made more tolerant to abiotic stresses such as cold, drought, salt and heat.
- ✓ 2. Enhancing the nutritional value of food is a stated benefit of GM crops. Golden rice, enriched with Vitamin A, is the standard example.
- ✗ 3. Enabling plants to grow and photosynthesise in spaceships or space stations is not among the recognised aims of crop genetic engineering. Those aims are pest resistance, stress tolerance, nutrition and reduced post-harvest losses.
- ✓ 4. The Flavr Savr tomato was genetically modified to delay ripening, which gave it a longer shelf life. Reducing post-harvest losses is also a listed benefit of GM crops.
Remember · GM crop traits: pest resistance, abiotic stress tolerance (drought, salt, cold, heat), better nutrition (golden rice), and longer shelf life with fewer post-harvest losses (Flavr Savr). Growing plants in space stations is not one of them.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Biology, Ch 10 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Biology, Ch 10 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Biology, Chapter 10 “made crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt, heat). (ii) reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops). (iii) helped to reduce post harvest losses.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Biology, Chapter 10 “enhanced nutritional value of food, e.g., golden rice, i.e., Vitamin 'A' enriched rice.”
- FAO, The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-04, Box on Flavr Savr tomatoes ↗ “The tomatoes were genetically modified to delay ripening and they therefore had a prolonged shelf-life in the supply chain.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·