RAS question
BIRSA 101, India's first indigenous CRISPR gene therapy launched in November 2025, targets which disease?
Correct answer: (B) Sickle Cell Disease.
BIRSA 101 is India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy, developed to treat sickle cell disease.
Explanation
BIRSA 101 targets sickle cell disease rather than genetic disorders in general. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) describes it as India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for sickle cell disease. It was developed at CSIR’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) and launched by Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on 19 November 2025. The therapy is named after Birsa Munda, and its launch was presented as a science-and-technology breakthrough of particular relevance to India’s tribal communities, which are especially affected by sickle cell disease. The aim is to make it available for about Rs 50 lakh, compared with roughly Rs 20–25 crore for therapies available abroad. CSIR also states that IGIB is collaborating with the Serum Institute to make treatments based on the CRISPR platform scalable and affordable. Therefore, option B is correct.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Cystic fibrosis is not the correct answer because the CSIR account identifies BIRSA 101 specifically as a CRISPR-based gene therapy for sickle cell disease.
- (C) Haemophilia is not the correct answer because BIRSA 101 is intended for sickle cell disease, not blood-clotting disorders.
- (D) Thalassemia is also a genetic blood disorder, but the official CSIR account identifies sickle cell disease, not thalassemia, as the target of BIRSA 101.
Concept
This tests applied biotechnology in Science and Technology: CRISPR gene therapy, indigenous biotechnology and medical innovation, and matching a therapy to its target disease. Such topics recur in RAS because current Indian science launches connect research institutions and technology with public health, tribal communities, policy, and current affairs.