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Prelims 2020 paper

UPSC CSE Prelims 2020 · GS Paper I · Question 44 · Biotechnology & genetics

निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2020, General Studies Paper I, Question 44 — Biotechnology & genetics.

Prelims 2020 · Q44

Biotechnology & genetics X-Ray · Core #11 Medium

निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

  1. 1.भावी माता-पिता के अंड या शुक्राणु उत्पन्न करने वाली कोशिकाओं में आनुवंशिक परिवर्तन किए जा सकते हैं ।
  2. 2.व्यक्ति का जीनोम जन्म से पूर्व प्रारंभिक भ्रूणीय अवस्था में सम्पादित किया जा सकता है ।
  3. 3.मानव प्रेरित बहुशक्त स्टेम (pluripotent stem) कोशिकाओं को एक शूकर के भ्रूण में अंतर्वेशित किया जा सकता है ।

उपर्युक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/से सही है/हैं ?

Read this question in English

Consider the following statements:

1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent.

2. A person's genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage.

3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only · (b) 2 and 3 only · (c) 2 only · (d) 1, 2 and 3

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (d) 1, 2 और 3

All three statements describe things that science can already do: edit the genes of egg- and sperm-producing cells, edit the genome of a very early embryo, and inject human stem cells into a pig embryo to make a human-pig chimera. The word 'can' asks about technical possibility, not legal permission.

  • ✓ 1. Gene editing of germ-line stem cells and gametes (eggs and sperm) is possible. India's stem cell guidelines name it and restrict such work to laboratory (in vitro) studies.
  • ✓ 2. Germline editing means changing genes in eggs, sperm or very early embryos, and the change is heritable. So a person's genome can be edited at the early embryonic stage.
  • ✓ 3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs, adult cells reprogrammed to an embryo-like state) have been injected into pig embryos. Some of the human iPSCs took part in the pig embryos' development, giving a chimera.

Remember · Germline and embryo editing and human-animal chimeras are technically possible today, though India restricts them to regulated laboratory work.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

Cite this question: UPSC CSE Prelims 2020, Q44 — minimalistias.com/pyqs/prelims/2020/q44

In the UPSC syllabus: Biotechnology & genetics › DNA, genes & genome editing See it and tick it covered →

Timed · 30 minutes Take Science & technology · Set 3 as a test This question is in it — with UPSC's marking and an instant score. Start the set Or the whole 2020 paper →

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