Why in the news
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has set up its Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity afresh for a year. The Environment Ministry noted that the committee plays a meaningful role in putting the Biological Diversity Act into practice.
Key facts
- Body: National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).
- Legal basis: Section 13(1) of the 2002 Biological Diversity Act, the provision allowing the NBA to form committees that assist it.
- Term: one year.
- Mandate: advise on protecting and sustainably using crop and farm-related biodiversity, and on sharing its benefits fairly (ABS).
- Co-Chair: Padma Shri Dr P.L. Gautam.
About agrobiodiversity
- The range of animals, plants and microbes that feed people or support farming, directly or indirectly.
- Covers crop varieties, livestock breeds, fish, pollinators, soil organisms and the wild cousins of cultivated species.
- Importance: food security under climate change and pests, genetic resources for climate-resilient crops, nutritional diversity, cultural heritage and ecosystem services such as pollination, pest control and soil health.
About the NBA
- Statutory, autonomous body created in 2003 by the Biological Diversity Act, 2002; based in Chennai.
- Controls who may use India’s biological resources and traditional knowledge, and clears applications from foreigners or foreign entities.
- Advises central and state governments on conservation and recommends notification of threatened species and biodiversity heritage sites.
- Chairperson is appointed by the central government.
Biological Diversity Act, 2002
| Tier | Body |
|---|
| Central | National Biodiversity Authority |
| State | State Biodiversity Boards |
| Local (gram panchayats, municipalities) | Biodiversity Management Committees |
- Puts into effect what India promised under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
- Prevents biopiracy, ensures ABS and recognises People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), which record local biological resources and traditional knowledge.
- 2023 Amendment: decriminalised certain offences, made registration easier for Indian firms that have foreign equity, streamlined ABS and encouraged AYUSH practitioners and researchers to access resources, balancing conservation with ease of doing business.
Convention on Biological Diversity
| Item | Detail |
|---|
| Adopted | Rio Earth Summit, 1992; in force 29 December 1993 |
| Objectives | Conservation, sustainable use, fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources |
| Secretariat | Montreal, Canada |
| Parties | 196, including the EU; India a party since 1994 |
| Cartagena Protocol (2000) | Biosafety of living modified organisms |
| Nagoya Protocol (2010) | Access and benefit-sharing |
| Kunming-Montreal Framework (2022) | Post-2020 global framework, called the “Paris Agreement for Nature” |
Exam angle
- Statutory basis: Section 13(1), Biological Diversity Act, 2002; NBA in Chennai.
- Related terms: ABS, PBR, BMC, SBB, Nagoya and Cartagena Protocols, PPV&FR Act, 2001.
- India is one of 17 megadiverse countries.