With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements:

1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests.
2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization.
3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct option is 2 only.

Let us analyze each statement step-by-step to understand the scientific details behind Genetically Modified (GM) mustard developed in India:

1. Statement 1 is incorrect:
GM mustard (Dharmendra / Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 or DMH-11) was developed using three genes extracted from a soil bacterium named Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. These genes are barnase, barstar, and bar.
- The barnase gene induces male sterility.
- The barstar gene restores fertility in the offspring.
- The bar gene confers resistance to a herbicide called glufosinate-ammonium.
Therefore, the bacterial genes introduced in DMH-11 do not impart pest resistance against a wide variety of pests; rather, they are designed for cross-pollination/hybridization and herbicide tolerance. (Pest-resistant Bt technology, using Bacillus thuringiensis, is used in crops like Bt Cotton).

2. Statement 2 is correct:
Mustard is naturally a self-pollinating crop, which makes cross-pollination and producing high-yielding commercial hybrid seeds difficult. The introduction of the barnase-barstar system creates a genetic mechanism for male sterility and fertility restoration, enabling effective cross-pollination and hybridization to produce hybrid mustard seeds.

3. Statement 3 is incorrect:
DMH-11 was developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) at the University of Delhi (South Campus), led by Deepak Pental, with support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), not jointly by IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.

Conclusion:
Since only statement 2 is correct, the right choice is 2 only.