• Hybrid rice for large-scale commercial farming was first successfully developed in China in 1974 by eminent agricultural scientist Prof. Yuan Longping ('Father of Hybrid Rice').
• Yuan Longping utilized the cytoplasmic male sterility source Wild Abortive (WA) cytosterile line discovered in wild rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) in Hainan Island.
• Commercial cultivation commenced in China in 1976. India was the second country in the world to commercialize hybrid rice in 1994 (with varieties APRH-1, APRH-2, MGR-1, KRH-1).
• Thus, China (Option 2) is the correct answer.

Core principles of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI):

• SRI relies heavily on organic manures, vermicompost, and integrated nutrient management rather than heavy synthetic chemical fertilizers. Hence, 'Increased application of chemical fertilizers' does not apply.
• Other core tenets of SRI include:
• Very young seedlings ($8-12\text{ days}$ old with 2 leaves);
• Single seedling per hill at wider spacing ($25\times 25\text{ cm}$, reduced plant density);
• Alternate wetting and drying (AWD, reduced water application);
• Mechanical cono-weeding for root aeration.