{"id":350660,"date":"2025-11-25T19:26:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T13:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=350660"},"modified":"2025-11-25T19:26:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T13:56:41","slug":"from-gene-modification-to-genome-editing-indias-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/from-gene-modification-to-genome-editing-indias-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"From Gene Modification to Genome Editing \u2013 India\u2019s Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPSC Syllabus Topic:<\/strong> GS Paper 3 -science and technology.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

India\u2019s biotechnology journey has moved from first-generation gene modification (GM) towards more precise genome editing using tools like CRISPR. While GM crops largely stalled after Bt cotton, genome-edited (GE) crops and therapies now enjoy stronger policy support, indigenous R&D and growing applications in both agriculture and health.<\/p>\n

Gene Modification (GM) vs Genome Editing (GE)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Technique<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gene modification <\/strong>creates genetically modified (GM) crops by inserting one or more genes from another organism, often an unrelated species. A key Indian example is Bt cotton, where a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis<\/em> was inserted into cotton to give insect resistance.<\/p>\n

Genome editing <\/strong>creates genome-edited (GE) crops by using tools such as CRISPR-associated proteins (like Cas9 or Cas12a) to cut and modify genes that are already present in the plant. The edit is guided by a short RNA sequence, so a specific native gene is altered rather than a foreign gene being added.<\/p>\n

Regulation in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. GM crops that contain foreign DNA have to follow the full biosafety pathway under the Environment (Protection) Act Rules, 1989<\/strong>, and need clearance from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)<\/strong> for environmental release, including field trials.<\/li>\n
  2. In March 2022, the Environment Ministry issued an Office Memorandum stating that certain genome-edited plants which are free from exogenous (introduced) DNA<\/strong>\u2014specifically SDN-1 and SDN-2 categories\u2014are exempted from the more stringent provisions of these Rules.<\/li>\n
  3. For such SDN-1 and SDN-2 genome-edited plants, the biosafety review under the 1989 Rules ends at the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC), once it confirms that the final plant is free from foreign DNA.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Phase I \u2013 Introduction of Gene Modification (GM) in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. India\u2019s modern biotechnology journey began with gene modification, where foreign genes were inserted into crops to provide specific traits.
      \n2. The most important milestone was the introduction of Bt cotton<\/strong>, which carries a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis<\/em> to resist bollworms.
      \n3. This marked India\u2019s entry into the era of genetically modified (GM) crops<\/strong> and showed that biotechnology could directly improve farm-level productivity and pest resistance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Phase II \u2013 Stagnation and Controversies Around GM Crops<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. After the initial success of Bt cotton, India\u2019s GM story entered a phase of stagnation<\/strong>. No new GM crop technology was approved for commercial cultivation for many years.
        \n2. <\/strong>Attempts to introduce GM food crops such as Bt brinjal and GM mustard<\/strong> faced strong opposition from civil society groups, farmers\u2019 organisations and some state governments.
        \n3. Concerns were raised over biosafety<\/strong>, long-term health effects, environmental risks and corporate control over seeds.
        \n4. Court cases and regulatory caution further slowed the process. As a result, India remained effectively limited to Bt cotton<\/strong>, and the country was seen as having underused the full potential of GM technology.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Phase III \u2013 Policy and Regulatory Shift Towards Genome Editing<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. A clear shift began when India moved from classical GM to genome editing<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        2. Building on the 2022 decision that exempted SDN-1 and SDN-2 genome-edited plants<\/strong> without foreign DNA from the stringent 1989 Rules, many genome-edited crops would no longer require clearance from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) for environmental release.<\/li>\n
        3. The Department of Biotechnology then released detailed guidelines and SOPs <\/strong>for safety assessment of genome-edited plants.
          \n4. The Union Budget 2023\u201324 earmarked a dedicated allocation of <\/strong>\u20b9500 crore <\/strong>for genome editing, with \u20b9310 crore for field crops, \u20b9120 crore for horticulture and the rest for animal science, fisheries and microorganisms.<\/li>\n
        4. ICAR has identified 178 genes in 24 field crops and 43 genes in 16 horticultural crops for editing.
          \n<\/strong><\/li>\n
        5. Together, these steps signalled a policy decision to actively promote genome editing<\/strong> as a preferred route for crop improvement.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Phase IV \u2013 Field Applications of Genome Editing in Crops<\/strong><\/h2>\n

          Genome-edited rice and mustard<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. In 2025, two GE rice lines derived from Samba Mahsuri and MTU-1010 <\/strong>completed multi-location trials (2023 and 2024 kharif). They show around 19% higher yield and better tolerance to saline and alkaline soils.
            \n2. Parallel reporting notes India\u2019s first genome-edited rice varieties \u2013 DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1 \u2013 <\/strong>designed to use less water while maintaining or increasing yields, signalling a potential water-saving \u201cgame changer\u201d.
            \n3. A GE mustard line with low pungency and resistance to major fungal pathogens and pests<\/strong> is under second-year trials and may be ready for release around 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Building Indigenous Tools and Capacity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

            How CRISPR is used<\/strong><\/p>\n