UPSC Civil Services Model Paper 3

● It is developed by using three genes viz., barnase, barstar and bar from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for hybrid seed production.
● The barnase gene confers male sterility to a plant in which it is inserted and barstar gene restore the fertility to produce fertile hybrid plants and seeds. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
● The third gene bar synthesizes an enzyme call PAT, which is responsible for tolerance to glufosinate in the plant.
● Glufosinate is a broad-spectrum herbicide , which indiscriminately eliminates weeds and any plant that does not have the bar gene.
◦ Glufosinate herbicides contain the active ingredient phosphinothricin, which kills plants by blocking the enzyme responsible for nitrogen metabolism and for detoxifying ammonia, a by-product of plant metabolism.
● It has mainly two genes (‘barnase’ and ‘barstar’) that allow for cross-pollination and hybridisation in mustard, which is largely a self- pollinating plant because of its individual flowers containing both female and male reproductive organs. Hence statement 2 is correct.
● GM mustard was developed by scientists at Delhi University and the project was part-funded by the Department of Biotechnology, a division of the Science Ministry. Hence statement 3 is not correct.