Question

What is NDM-1?

• A. National Defence Missile 1, developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) as a part of the comprehensive missile shield for India.
• B. A bacterial gene called New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1, dubbed the 'superbug' because of it being resistant to most antibiotics.
• C. New Directions in Management 1, the first among a series of international conferences on Management, to be inaugurated by Bill Gates in Mumbai in January 2012.
• D. A vision document on Disaster Management, released by Planning Commission.

Hint:

It is a drug resistance gene in bacteria, named after India's capital, not a missile or a conference.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

NDM-1 stands for New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1. It is a gene found in certain bacteria that produces an enzyme capable of breaking down carbapenem antibiotics, which are normally considered a last line of defence against tough infections. Bacteria carrying this gene became widely resistant to most known antibiotics, earning it the media label superbug. The gene came to global attention after a study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases in August 2010 traced cases to patients who had undergone medical treatment in India, particularly around New Delhi, which is how the gene got its name. The naming caused significant controversy in India, with health officials objecting to the country being singled out, since cases linked to the gene were later found in several other countries as well.

The other options are fabricated for this exam. There is no missile programme called National Defence Missile 1 under DRDO by this name. There was no management conference called New Directions in Management 1 inaugurated by Bill Gates. Similarly, no Planning Commission vision document on disaster management goes by the name NDM-1. All three are distractors built to sound plausible next to the real answer.