Reproduction in Animals

UPSC GS3 — Sea Turtle Conservation: All five sea turtle species found in Indian waters — Olive Ridley, Green, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, and Leatherback — are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and CITES Appendix I. Olive Ridley mass nesting (Arribada) at Gahirmatha (Odisha) and Rushikulya is a flagship conservation event. Their oviparous reproduction (nesting on beaches) makes them vulnerable to beach erosion, light pollution, and poaching. The TED (Turtle Excluder Device) mandate for trawlers in Odisha waters reduces accidental bycatch.

UPSC GS3 — Cloning Policy:

• Reproductive cloning (creating a cloned human being) is banned worldwide under various national laws and condemned by the UN Declaration on Human Cloning (2005).
• Therapeutic cloning (creating cloned embryos to harvest stem cells for treating diseases) remains ethically debated — legal in the UK (under strict regulation) and some other countries; not permitted in India under ICMR guidelines.
• Animal cloning for livestock: Legitimate use — NDRI, Karnal cloned buffalo Garima (2009) and Garima-II (2010) to multiply high-yielding cattle genetics rapidly. NDRI is under ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research).
• Extinction reversal (de-extinction): Proposals to clone extinct species (e.g., woolly mammoth, gastric-brooding frog) using ancient DNA — scientifically feasible in theory but raises deep ecological ethics questions about reintroduction into changed habitats.

UPSC GS3/GS2 — ART Regulation Act 2021: India enacted the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 to regulate IVF clinics and banks (storing sperm, eggs, embryos). Key provisions:

• National and State ART Boards to register and regulate clinics
• Age limits: Women 21–50, men 21–55 years for commissioning ART
• Limits on number of donated eggs per donor (maximum 7 oocytes)
• Prohibition of sex selection (under PCPNDT Act 1994 as well)
• Pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) allowed for medical reasons only

Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021:

• Bans commercial surrogacy (paying a surrogate beyond medical expenses)
• Allows altruistic surrogacy only — surrogate must be a willing close relative (married, with own child, aged 25–35)
• Intended couple must be Indian citizens; widows and divorcees also permitted since 2023 amendment
• National Surrogacy Board and State Surrogacy Boards for regulation

UPSC GS3 — Ex-situ Conservation & ART: Reproductive technologies are increasingly used for ex-situ conservation of endangered species:

• Cryopreservation: Freezing sperm, eggs, embryos, and somatic cells of endangered animals for future use — India is developing a National Cryogenic Wildlife Sperm Bank at CCMB (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology), Hyderabad
• IVF for endangered species: Used in cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) breeding programs, giant panda, and northern white rhino (only 2 left in the world — ART is the only hope)
• Project Hangul (Kashmir Stag): Assisted reproduction research for Cervus hanglu hanglu — critically endangered; population ~260 in Dachigam National Park
• Studbooks: Zoo-maintained genetic records used to manage breeding programs and prevent inbreeding (managed by CAZS — Central Zoo Authority of India)

[Additional] ICMR-DBT National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research 2025 -- GS3 (Biotechnology / Science Policy):

Regulatory framework:

• National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research 2025 -- jointly issued by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and DBT (Department of Biotechnology); supersede the 2017 guidelines
• Research classified into three categories:
  • Permissible: Adult stem cell research (HSCs, MSCs), iPSC research, cord blood banking, clinical HSCT
  • Restrictive (requires special approval): Human embryonic stem cell research, clinical trials of stem cell therapies beyond HSCT; requires approval from NAC-SCRT
  • Prohibited: Reproductive cloning, chimeric embryos (mixing human and animal cells beyond specified limits), germline modification

Apex regulatory body:

• NAC-SCRT (National Apex Committee for Stem Cell Research and Therapy): Constituted under the Department of Health Research (MoH&FW); apex body for approving restrictive-category research

Only approved clinical therapy:

• HSCT (Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation) is the only stem cell therapy approved as Standard of Care in India for haematological disorders (leukaemia, thalassaemia, aplastic anaemia)
• Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy, neural stem cell therapy, etc. are NOT approved as standard treatment -- only in regulated clinical trials

Regulatory jurisdiction split (UPSC-tested):

• If stem cell product undergoes minimal manipulation → ICMR-DBT guidelines apply
• If stem cell product undergoes more than minimal manipulation (e.g., expanded, modified) → treated as a drug; CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) regulates under Drugs and Cosmetics Act
• This split jurisdiction is a frequent exam angle -- CDSCO vs ICMR are both regulatory authorities for stem cell products depending on the level of manipulation

Supreme Court advisory (January 30, 2026):

• SC prompted NMC (National Medical Commission) + ICMR to issue a fresh advisory restricting unproven stem cell therapies being marketed directly to patients outside clinical trial frameworks -- targeting proliferating private clinics offering unapproved stem cell injections for autism, cerebral palsy, etc.

India's specific programs:

• Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) National Mission (2023): Union Budget 2023-24; aims to eliminate SCD by 2047; HSCT is a curative option being evaluated in India's tribal belt (high SCD burden in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh)

[Additional] Parthenogenesis in Critically Endangered Species -- GS3 (Biodiversity / Conservation Biology):

Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis -- Endangered, IUCN):

• Komodo dragons are the world's largest lizard; found only on Komodo Island, Rinca, Flores, and two smaller islands in Indonesia
• Female Komodo dragons genetically confirmed (via DNA fingerprinting) to produce offspring without any male contact -- facultative parthenogenesis documented scientifically (Nature, 2006)
• Sex determination mechanism: Komodo dragons use the ZW system (opposite of mammals' XY): females are ZW, males are ZZ
• Parthenogenetic offspring are produced from an unfertilised egg and are always ZZ = always male
• Conservation significance: isolated female Komodo dragons in zoos can produce male offspring via parthenogenesis -- theoretically enabling colony re-establishment; but reduces genetic diversity

Sawfish (Pristis spp. -- all 5 species Critically Endangered, IUCN):

• Sawfish are elasmobranch fish (related to rays and sharks); identified by their elongated blade-like rostrum ("saw") with lateral teeth
• All 5 sawfish species are Critically Endangered (IUCN) -- among the most endangered fish families globally; populations have declined >90% due to overfishing, habitat loss, entanglement
• First wild vertebrate documented to reproduce via parthenogenesis in natural conditions (study published in Current Biology, 2015): Scientists found ~3% of wild smalltooth sawfish in Florida were parthenogenetic offspring
• India connection: Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis pristis) and Narrow Sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata) occur in Indian coastal waters; both are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (since 2001 amendment)
• Conservation concern: Parthenogenesis reduces genetic diversity in an already-bottlenecked population -- offspring share ~50% less genetic variation; this makes the population more vulnerable to disease. Zoos managing sawfish now deliberately keep males and females together to prevent inadvertent triggering of parthenogenesis.
• UPSC angle: The sawfish case illustrates that even "natural" reproductive flexibility can be a symptom of conservation crisis (small populations, no mates available) rather than a solution.