Biotechnology and Health — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions on biotechnology with full explanations — rDNA tools, Bt crops, stem cells, mRNA vaccines and the Cartagena Protocol.
Questions
These are original UPSC-pattern practice questions. Attempt each one before revealing the answer.
In recombinant DNA technology, restriction enzymes are used to
Solution
Restriction enzymes are molecular scissors that cut DNA at specific recognition sequences. The distractors describe other tools: joining fragments — DNA ligase; copying a segment millions of times — PCR; separating fragments by size — gel electrophoresis.
Answer: C
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are obtained by
Solution
iPSCs are made by reprogramming ordinary adult cells (such as skin cells) with a few transcription factors — the work that earned Shinya Yamanaka the 2012 Nobel Prize. The inner cell mass of a blastocyst gives embryonic stem cells; umbilical cord blood gives mainly multipotent blood-forming stem cells; fusing gametes is simply fertilisation.
Answer: A
Consider the following statements about Bt cotton:
- The Bt toxin is produced in the bacterium as an inactive protoxin.
- The toxin becomes active in the alkaline gut of insect larvae.
- Bt cotton is designed mainly to tolerate herbicides.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 2 are correct — the Cry protein is an inactive protoxin, activated in the alkaline larval gut, where it damages the gut lining. Statement 3 is incorrect — Bt cotton confers insect resistance. Herbicide-tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton is a different, unapproved trait in India.
Answer: D
Consider the following statements about mRNA vaccines:
- They integrate into the human genome to provide long-term immunity.
- They instruct the body’s cells to produce an antigen protein.
- The use of modified nucleosides reduces unwanted inflammatory reactions to the mRNA.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statement 1 is incorrect — mRNA stays in the cytoplasm, is translated, and is then degraded; it never enters the nucleus or integrates into DNA. Statement 2 is correct — the mRNA codes for an antigen such as a viral spike protein. Statement 3 is correct — the nucleoside modifications of Karikó and Weissman (Nobel Prize 2023) dampen the inflammatory response and made the platform practical.
Answer: B
The Cartagena Protocol, to which India is a party, deals with
Solution
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (adopted 2000, in force 2003), under the Convention on Biological Diversity, governs the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms. Access and benefit sharing is the Nagoya Protocol; plant breeders’ rights fall under UPOV and India’s PPV&FR Act, 2001; hazardous wastes are covered by the Basel Convention.
Answer: B
Discuss how advances in biotechnology — new vaccine platforms, gene therapy and cell therapy — can strengthen India’s health security. What stands in the way of equitable access?
Solution
Introduction: COVID-19 showed that the speed of vaccine development and the capacity to manufacture at scale are matters of national security. India’s vaccine industry and new indigenous therapies place it well, but access remains uneven.
Body:
- Vaccines: multiple platforms deployed in India — inactivated (Covaxin), viral vector (Covishield), protein subunit (Corbevax), DNA (ZyCoV-D, a world first); platform technologies allow faster response to new pathogens.
- Gene and cell therapy: NexCAR19, the first indigenous CAR-T therapy (2023), at a fraction of the cost of imported versions; CRISPR-based therapies for sickle cell disease, relevant to the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (2023).
- Enablers: DBT, BIRAC funding for start-ups, the BioE3 Policy (2024), genomic data from the Genome India Project.
- Barriers: high cost of advanced therapies; limited hospital infrastructure for cell therapy; regulatory capacity; cold-chain gaps; patent barriers; ethical concerns over genetic data and consent.
Conclusion: Public funding, price regulation, flexible use of IP law and investment in regional treatment centres can turn India’s biotech capacity into equitable health security.