Why in news
- National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed Rs 5.68 crore under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism to State Biodiversity Boards and UT Biodiversity Councils.
- Funds were collected from seed and biotech companies accessing commercial varieties of Okra, Watermelon, and Cucumber.
What is the Biological Diversity Act, 2002?
- Enacted pursuant to India's commitments under the UN Convention on **Biological Diversity (CBD) to conserve biological resources** and traditional knowledge.
- Establishes a three-tier statutory structure: National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the central level, State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) at state level, and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at local body level.
- Regulates foreign and domestic access to biological resources and associated knowledge to ensure fair and equitable benefit sharing.
Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Mechanism
- Requires commercial users of bio-resources to deposit a fee or percentage of revenue with the NBA for utilization of genetic materials.
- Where biological resources are procured from traders or open markets without traceable individual farmers, NBA distributes funds across States and UTs where the crop is cultivated.
- In this instance, Rs 3.51 crore collected for Okra access (139 varieties, 28 hybrids) was distributed to 32 SBBs and UT Councils for conservation activities.
Why it matters
- Operationalizes the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing by monetizing commercial plant breeding and redistributing gains to local bio-resource custodians.
- Strengthens the financial autonomy of State Biodiversity Boards for biodiversity documentation, People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), and habitat restoration.
Key terms
Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)
Mechanism ensuring that benefits arising from the commercial or research utilization of genetic resources are shared fairly with provider countries and local communities.
Nagoya Protocol
A 2010 supplementary agreement to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity that provides a transparent legal framework for implementing ABS.
Prelims facts
- National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Foreign entities require NBA approval to access Indian bio-resources, while domestic users notify State Biodiversity Boards.
Mains discussion
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the Access and Benefit-Sharing framework in compensating traditional communities under the Biological Diversity Act.
Source: PIB Press Release
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
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2023 · Q79 · General Studies · 2 marks
Consider the following statements : 1. In India, the Biodiversity Management committees are key to the realization of the objectives of Nagoya Protocol. 2. The Biodiversity Management committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? -
2024 · Q50 · General Studies · 2 marks
With reference to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rules in India, consider the following statements: 1. CSR rules specify that expenditures that benefit the company directly or its employees will not be considered as CSR activities. 2. CSR rules do not specify minimum spending on CSR activities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? -
2022 · Q8 · GS II · 10 marks
Reforming the government delivery system through the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme is a progressive step, but it has its limitations too. Comment. -
2021 · Q18 · GS II · 15 marks
Can Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations present an alternative model of public service delivery to benefit the common citizen. Discuss the challenges of this alternative model. -
2020 · Q3 · General Studies · 2 marks
With reference to the funds under Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), which of the following statements are correct? 1. MPLADS funds must be used to create durable sets like physical infrastructure for health, education, etc 2. A specified portion of each MP fund must benefit SC/ST populations 3. MPLADS funds are sanctioned on yearly basis and the unused funds cannot be carried forward to the next year. 4. The district authority must inspect at least 10% of all work under implementation every year. Select the correct answer using the code given below: