*_📢 Recently, India's First Gene-Edited Sheep Developed by Kashmir University & ICAR 🧬_* 🐑 India creates history! First-ever gene-edited sheep developed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology by Kashmir Agricultural University 🧬💥 🧪 Developed in collaboration with ICAR, this marks a leap in animal biotechnology and precision breeding in India. 🇮🇳 ✂️ CRISPR-Cas9 works like a DNA scissor — cutting and editing genes precisely. 🔬✂️ 🏆 Fun Fact: The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9! 🥇 💪 Scientists edited the Myostatin gene to enhance muscle growth by 30% — a feature found in European breeds like Texel, but not in Indian sheep. 🔍 🌱 No foreign DNA was inserted, which makes it non-transgenic and safer for regulatory clearance. ✅ The technique is efficient, precise, and possibly more acceptable to regulators and the public compared to GM animals. ⚖️ 🇮🇳 This breakthrough could revolutionize livestock breeding in India, improving productivity and rural income. 🐄🌾 🧬 Earlier, India's first gene-edited buffalo embryo was developed by NDRI – now a sheep marks the next step! 🧫🐃➡️🐑 🚀 A proud moment for Indian science! Gene editing is paving the way for ethical and smart animal husbandry in the future. 🧠🇮🇳 ⚖️ Ethical Concerns in Gene Editing of Animals 🧬 Human & Social Implications: Editing traits like intelligence or appearance raises fears of designer babies and genetic elitism, leading to social inequality and revival of eugenics ideologies. 🧪 Scientific & Health Risks: Risks of off-target mutations, mosaicism (inconsistent gene changes across cells), and unknown long-term effects, including potential new diseases or ecosystem imbalances. 🐾 Animal Welfare & Bioethics: Gene editing often involves animal sacrifice, surgical interventions, and suffering. Bodies like UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee stress the need for ethical regulation and oversight in such experiments. *_📘 UPSC Relevance:_* 🔹 GS Paper III – Science and Technology: → Biotechnology, CRISPR-Cas9, Gene Editing, Transgenic vs Non-transgenic organisms 🔹 GS Paper II – Governance: → Regulation of biotechnology and ethical implications 🔹 Prelims Focus: → CRISPR, Myostatin, ICAR, Gene-editing vs Transgenics *_#examlife_*