What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the…

(a) Research and developmental achievements: In agriculture, Bt cotton, drought- and salinity-tolerant varieties, ICAR's genome-edited rice varieties (2025), and GM mustard DMH-11 (cleared by GEAC in 2022 but held up in the Supreme Court, which gave a split verdict in 2024) show the progress; Bt brinjal remains under moratorium. In healthcare, indigenous R&D produced affordable vaccines such as Rotavac and Covaxin, recombinant insulin, biosimilars and point-of-care diagnostics. Microbial biofertilisers, biopesticides and second-generation (2G) bioethanol from crop residue have expanded the rural bioeconomy.

(b) How they uplift the poor:

• Farm income: Pest-resistant and climate-resilient seeds raise yields and cut losses, while biofertilisers and biopesticides reduce costly chemical inputs, lowering cultivation costs for smallholders.
• Health expenditure: Out-of-pocket medical spending pushes families into poverty; low-cost vaccines, biosimilar drugs and affordable diagnostics cut treatment costs and protect savings.
• Rural employment: Decentralised 2G ethanol plants and bio-input units create local non-farm jobs and give farmers extra income from stubble.

(c) Conditions for pro-poor impact: Biosafety concerns, IPR-linked seed monopolies and unequal access can blunt gains. Strong GEAC oversight, public-sector R&D and the BioE3 Policy (2024) can help ensure the benefits reach small farmers and poorer households.