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𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐔𝐌 (𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐌) 1. Source: Opium is obtained from the milky latex of unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum; contains alkaloids like morphine and codeine. Poppy seeds (posto/khus khus) are used in food. 2. British India: The East India Company established a monopoly over opium production in Bengal and Bihar and exported it to China, contributing to the Opium Wars (1839–42 and 1856–60). 3. Opium Centres: Patna and Ghazipur were major centres of the colonial opium trade; the Malwa region was another important production area. 4. Opium Wars: Fought between China and Western powers; the First Opium War ended with the Treaty of Nanking (1842), under which Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain. Present India: 6. Legal Cultivation in India: - Regulated under the NDPS Act, 1985. - Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, regulates and licenses cultivation. - CBN Headquarters: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. - Traditional licensed cultivation states: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh; notified tracts have also included Uttarakhand. - India is the only country legally producing opium gum under the international control framework. 7. Opium Processing: Government Opium and Alkaloid Works (GOAW) are located at Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh) and Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh). Note: Opium is obtained from the latex, not the seeds; the seeds are used as a culinary ingredient. Essay Enrichment Theme: Globalisation, Cultural Identity, Tradition vs Modernity Example: The aloo posto burger illustrates how globalisation transforms traditional food into commercial products, creating tension between cultural preservation and culinary innovation.