Which of the following is a non-GM herbicide-tolerant basmati rice variety developed in India?

Correct option is B

· The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR–IARI) has developed the country’s first non-GM herbicide-tolerant (HT) basmati rice varieties – Pusa Basmati 1979 and Pusa Basmati 1985.
· These varieties tolerate the imidazolinone herbicide imazethapyr, enabling direct-seeded rice with better weed control and lower labour and water use.
Why other options are wrong
· (a) Swarna-Sub1 – a submergence/flash-flood tolerant variety, not specifically herbicide tolerant. It carries the Sub1 gene for flood tolerance.
· (c) IR 64 – a widely grown high-yielding variety but not bred as herbicide-tolerant.
· (d) MTU 1010 – popular in some Indian states for yield and adaptability but not an HT variety.