RAS question
At the Asian Seed Congress 2025 in Mumbai on 17 November 2025, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that two rice varieties developed using Genome Editing will increase productivity by what percentage, while using less water and reducing carbon emissions?
Correct answer: (D) 19 to 40 per cent.
The two rice varieties developed through Genome Editing were said to raise productivity by 19 to 40 per cent while using less water and reducing carbon emissions.
Explanation
At the Asian Seed Congress 2025 in Mumbai, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan linked the rice-variety claim to the wider need for climate-resilient agriculture. The PIB release records that he said India has 15 agro-climatic zones and therefore needs varieties that can withstand drought, heat and pesticides. In that context, he cited two rice varieties developed through the advanced technique of Genome Editing. Their stated advantage was not just higher output, but a package of productivity and sustainability: productivity would rise by 19 to 40 per cent, water use would be lower, and carbon emissions would also fall. That is why option D matches the official statement.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 5 to 10 per cent is too low; the official PIB release states a 19 to 40 per cent productivity increase for the two Genome Editing rice varieties.
- (B) 10 to 15 per cent understates the announced productivity gain; the cited figure was 19 to 40 per cent.
- (C) 45 to 60 per cent overstates the claim made at the Congress; PIB records the range as 19 to 40 per cent.
Concept
This tests current agriculture-economy policy, especially climate-resilient seed technology and productivity gains. RAS often frames such questions around official announcements because they connect science, farming costs and sustainability in one fact pattern.