The first transgenic crop commercially released in India was: (MCAER 2015)

✔Explanation: Bt cotton was the first genetically modified (transgenic) crop commercially released in India in 2002. It contains genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis that provide resistance to bollworm pests.

🔑Key Points:
-Bt Cotton is the only GM crop approved for commercial cultivation in India.
-It was first approved in 2002 for cultivation in six Indian states.
-Bt Cotton has been genetically modified to produce a toxin that kills bollworm, a major pest that affects cotton crops.
-The adoption of Bt Cotton in India has been controversial, with some arguing that it has led to increased farmer debt and decreased yields.

🛑Additional Information:
– A crop used in agriculture that has had its DNA altered through genetic engineering is known as a genetically modified crop (GM crop).
-In GM crop, Agrobacterium can be used to transfer sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors, or one can physically modify plant genomes. 
-The goal is to give the plant a new characteristic that is not found in the species naturally.
-Mustard is currently awaiting approval for commercial cultivation in India.
-It has been genetically modified to improve yields and reduce the country's dependence on imported edible oil.
-Bt Brinjal was approved for commercial cultivation in India in 2009, but the approval was later revoked in 2010 due to concerns about its safety and impact on human health and the environment.