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Name the Indian crop variety… (Class 12 Biology 2025, Q17a)

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BiologyCBSE Class 12 · Board exam 2025, set 57/7/1 · 2 marks · Very short answer

CBSE Class 12 Biology 2025: question 17(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 12 board exam of 2025, paper 57/7/1, section B, question 17(a), for 2 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q17(a) · 2 marks · Very short answerBiotechnology and its Applications

Name the Indian crop variety for which, in 1997, an American company got patent rights through the US Patent and Trademark Office. This is considered a case of Biopiracy. Justify.

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 board paper, set 57/7/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Think of the famous aromatic Indian rice.

Hint 2

Biopiracy means using another country's bio-resources or traditional knowledge without permission or payment. Ask where the parent variety came from.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. The crop variety is Basmati rice. In 1997 a US company was granted patent rights on it through the US Patent and Trademark Office.

    1 mark

  2. Why it is biopiracy: The 'new' variety was obtained by crossing Indian Basmati, which Indian farmers have grown for centuries, with semi-dwarf varieties. The company claimed it as its own invention without recognising India or paying Indian farmers. Using a country's bio-resources and traditional knowledge without authorisation or compensation is biopiracy.

    1 mark

Answer: Basmati rice; the variety was derived from traditional Indian Basmati without authorisation or compensation, so it is biopiracy.

Where the marks are

  • Names Basmati rice (1 mark)
  • Justifies that it was derived from varieties Indian farmers have grown for centuries, crossed with semi-dwarf varieties, and claimed as an invention without compensation (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Biotechnology and its Applications, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2025 board paper, set 57/7/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.