CRISPR-Cas9 and Gene Editing: UPSC GS Paper 3 Science & Ethics
How CRISPR works, somatic vs germline modifications, the Genome India Project, and ethical regulatory frameworks under GEAC.
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) along with the Cas9 endonuclease enzyme is revolutionising biotechnology by enabling targeted genome editing at specific genetic loci.
- •Prelims Focus: Institutional mandate, member countries, observer status guidelines, and strategic polar agreements.
- •Mains Focus: GS Paper 2 (Bilateral, regional and global groupings) & GS Paper 3 (Climate and energy security).
For UPSC Prelims, note the critical distinction: Somatic gene therapy affects only the individual patient and is non-heritable, whereas Germline editing introduces changes in reproductive cells (sperm, eggs, zygotes) that pass down to subsequent generations.
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change regulates the appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production.
India's Genome India Project, spearheaded by the Department of Biotechnology, aims to sequence 10,000 reference genomes across diverse ethnic groups to unlock precision medicine and target rare genetic disorders.
In Mains GS Paper 3 answers, balance technological benefits (disease resistance in crops, sickle cell anaemia therapies) against biosafety risks, biosecurity concerns, off-target mutations, and the ethical dilemma of designer babies.
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