A ‘new’ variety of rice was patented by a foreign company, though such varieties have been present in India for a long time. This is related to: [2018]
Co-667
Sharbati Sonora
Lerma Rojo
Basmati
In 1997, a Texas company got patent rights on Basmati rice through the US Patent and Trademark Office. This allowed the company to sell a ‘new’ variety of Basmati, in the US and abroad. This new variety of Basmati had actually been derived from Indian farmers’ varieties. Indian Basmati was crossed with semi-dwarf varieties and claimed as an invention or a novelty. It caused a brief diplomatic crisis between India and United States with India threatening to take the matter to WTO (World Trade Organisation) as a violation of TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights). Both voluntarily and due to review decisions by United States patent office, Rice Tec lost most of the claims of the patent.
In India, the organisation responsible for assessing the safety of introducing genetically modified organisms for public use is: [2018]
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Research Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM)
Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
Indian government has set up organisations such as GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) which makes decisions regarding the validity of GM research and safety of introducing GM organisms for public services.
Use of bioresources by multinational companies and organisations without authorisation from the concerned country and its people is called: [2018]
bio-infringement
biopiracy
biodegradation
bioexploitation
(2)
Some organisations and multinational companies exploit or patent biological resources or bioresources of other nations without proper authorisation from the countries concerned. This is called biopiracy.
Which body of the Government of India regulates GM research and safety of introducing GM organisms for public services? [2015]
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee
Research Committee on Genetic Manipulation
Bio-safety committee
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(1)
Genetic modification of organisms can have unpredictable results, when such organisms are introduced into the ecosystem. Therefore, the Indian Government has set up organizations such as GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval Committee), (now changed as Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) which makes decisions regarding the validity of GM research and the safety of introducing GM-organisms for public services.
