Other than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created?<br/>1. To enable them to withstand drought.<br/>2. To increase the nutritive value of the produce.<br/>3. To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations.<br/>4. To increase their shelf life.<br/><br/>Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. To enable them to withstand drought — Correct. GM crops have been developed for abiotic stress tolerance, including drought resistance.

2. To increase the nutritive value of the produce — Correct. Biofortification through genetic engineering is a well-known objective, e.g., vitamin-A enriched crops.

3. To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations — Correct. Genetic engineering has also been explored to create plants suited for controlled/space environments, including life-support roles such as growth and photosynthesis in spacecraft or space stations; this appears to be the basis on which UPSC treated the statement as correct.

4. To increase their shelf life — Correct. GM plants have been created for delayed ripening and improved shelf life, e.g., Flavr Savr tomato.

Hence, 1, 2, 3 and 4 are correct. Revision note: My earlier rejection of statement 3 was too narrow; UPSC has taken a broader view of the prospects of genetic engineering in plants.