Recently, ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) has developed the world's first genome-edited rice varieties. Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to the developed products? 1. The genome-edited varieties – DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1 have been developed by ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. 2. DRR Rice 100 (Kamla), based on Samba Mahsuri, has a shorter duration of maturity. Select the answer using the code given below:

In May 2025, India launched the world's first genome-edited rice varieties: DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1. Statement 1 is incorrect because while Pusa DST Rice 1 was developed by ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, the DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) variety was developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) in Hyderabad [1]. Statement 2 is correct as DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) is derived from the popular Samba Mahsuri (BPT 5204) variety [2]. Through CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing of the cytokinin oxidase gene (OsCKX2), researchers achieved earlier maturity by approximately 20 days, resulting in a total duration of about 130 days compared to the parent variety. This shorter duration helps in water conservation and reduces methane emissions while providing a significant yield boost.

Sources

1. [1] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2126802
2. [2] https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/first-2-new-genome-edited-rice-varieties-significance-agri-9981869/