Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge — NEET Biology

Correct answer: A — S1, S2 and S4

The core concept here is the definition and characteristics of biopiracy as discussed in NCERT. S1 is NOT correct: Biopiracy primarily involves unauthorized use of resources from biodiversity-rich *developing* countries, and often concerns traditionally used resources, not exclusively patented material from developed countries. (NCERT: "Most of the industrialised nations are rich financially but poor in biodiversity and traditional knowledge. In contrast the developing and the underdeveloped world is rich in biodiversity and traditional knowledge related to bio-resources.") S2 is NOT correct: Biopiracy, by definition, involves the use of bio-resources *without proper authorization or compensatory payment*, which implies a lack of transparency and fair benefit sharing. (NCERT: "Biopiracy is the term used to refer to the use of bio-resources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned without compensatory payment.") S3 is correct: Traditional knowledge can indeed be exploited to develop modern applications and reduce R&D expenditure, making it a target for biopiracy. (NCERT: "Traditional knowledge related to bio-resources can be exploited to develop modern applications and can also be used to save time, effort and expenditure during their commercialisation.") S4 is NOT correct: Industrialized nations are typically poor in biodiversity and traditional knowledge, while developing and underdeveloped nations are rich in them, making the latter more vulnerable to biopiracy. (NCERT: "Most of the industrialised nations are rich financially but poor in biodiversity and traditional knowledge. In contrast the developing and the underdeveloped world is rich in biodiversity and traditional knowledge related to bio-resources.") S5 is correct: The Indian Parliament has indeed taken steps to address biopiracy through amendments to the Patents Bill. (NCERT: "The Indian Parliament has recently cleared the second amendment of the Indian Patents Bill, that takes such issues into consideration...") Therefore, statements S1, S2, and S4 are NOT correct. Option B is incorrect as S3 and S5 are correct. Option C is incorrect as S3 and S5 are correct. Option D is incorrect as S5 is correct. The correct answer is A because S1, S2 and S4 are not correct.