Bollgard I and Bollgard II technologies are mentioned in the context of
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) developing genetically modified crop plants
Bollgard I and Bollgard II are brand names of Bt cotton technology, that is, genetically modified cotton carrying Bt genes that protect it from bollworm pests. So they belong to developing genetically modified crop plants.
- ✓ (b) Bt cotton is a genetically modified crop: a Bt toxin gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is expressed in the plant to resist insects. In Bollgard II hybrids, both the Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab proteins are present in the transgenic plant.
- ✗ (a) Clonal propagation copies plants from cuttings or tissue culture without adding genes; Bollgard involves inserted genes.
- ✗ (c) Plant growth substances are hormones such as auxins; Bollgard is not a hormone-making technology.
- ✗ (d) Biofertilizers are living microbes added to soil, whereas Bollgard is a trait built into the cotton plant itself.
Remember · Bollgard I and Bollgard II = Bt cotton (GM cotton); Bollgard II carries two Bt proteins, Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Biology, Ch 10 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Biology, Chapter 10 “Bt toxin gene has been cloned from the bacteria and been expressed in plants to provide resistance to insects without the need for insecticides; in effect created a bio-pesticide. Examples are Bt cotton”
- PIB, Ministry of Science & Technology: Rapid diagnostic kits for genetically modified traits (Bollgard I and II) ↗ “Bt cotton ( Bollgard I) with cry1Ac gene was the first GM crop to be commercialized in India in March 2002 and Bt cotton ( Bollgard II) with cry1Ac and cry2Ab for insect resistance has also been commercialized.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·