UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s Bioeconomy surges from $10 billion to $195 billion in a decade, Registers 17–18% Annual Growth: Dr Jitendra Singh

Q1. Under which department of the Government of India was the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) set up?

  • A. Department of Science & Technology (DST)
  • B. Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
  • C. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
  • D. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Q2. In which year did the Union Cabinet approve the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy?

  • A. 2021
  • B. 2022
  • C. 2024
  • D. 2025

Q3. In the context of the India Bioeconomy Report, the term 'bioeconomy' is best defined as:

  • A. The total value of India's pharmaceutical exports plus agricultural exports in a year
  • B. Economic activity derived from biological resources and biotechnology, spanning bio-pharma, bio-agriculture, bio-industrial and bio-IT/services
  • C. The contribution of organic farming and allied activities to national income
  • D. The market capitalisation of all listed biotechnology and life-sciences companies in India

Q4. The following are segments of India's bioeconomy paired with their approximate share as per the latest data. Which one of the pairings is NOT correctly matched?

  1. BioIndustrial — the largest segment, with roughly a 47% share
  2. BioPharma — roughly a 35% share
  3. BioAgri — roughly an 8% share
  4. Bio-IT & Research Services — roughly a 25% share
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q5. Consider the following. Which of the above are correctly identified as broad constituent segments of India's bioeconomy?

  1. Bio-Pharma
  2. Bio-Agriculture
  3. Bio-IT & Research Services
  4. Bio-Tourism
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. Which one of the following is the nodal central agency that operationalises India's biotechnology and bioeconomy initiatives such as the BioE3 Policy?

  • A. The Ministry of Earth Sciences, which alone handles all bio-resource programmes
  • B. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science & Technology
  • C. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • D. The Department of Science & Technology (DST), exclusively

Q7. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) functions under which Union Ministry?

  • A. Ministry of Science & Technology
  • B. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
  • C. Ministry of Earth Sciences
  • D. Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers

Q8. In the context of India's biotechnology policy timeline, the National Biotechnology Development Strategy is best described as:

  • A. A statute enacted by Parliament to regulate genetically modified crops
  • B. A roadmap/policy document of the Department of Biotechnology to guide the growth of India's biotech sector and bioeconomy
  • C. A funding scheme administered exclusively by BIRAC to finance biotech startups
  • D. An international treaty on access and benefit-sharing of biological resources under the United Nations

Q9. The India Bioeconomy Report (IBER) 2026, released at BIRAC's 14th Foundation Day, is best described as:

  • A. A Reserve Bank of India report on credit flow to the biotechnology sector
  • B. A flagship report tracking the size, growth trajectory and sectoral composition of India's bioeconomy
  • C. A World Health Organization publication assessing India's pharmaceutical exports
  • D. A NITI Aayog index that ranks Indian states on biotech investment readiness