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| Relevance: General Studies Paper III (Environment, Conservation and Biodiversity) | Source: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change / NBA, 2026 |
India’s Three-Tier Biodiversity Model: From National Authority to the Village Register
| On the International Day for Biological Diversity 2026 (22 May, theme “Acting locally for global impact”), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) showcased India’s conservation model — a three-tier system that links national law with village-level action and aligns with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). |
1 · What Biodiversity Means (Prelims base)
- Genetic diversity: variation of genes within a species — for example, different varieties of apple.
- Species diversity: the range of distinct species — for example, tigers, lions and rhinoceroses.
- Ecosystem diversity: the variety of habitats where living and non-living factors interact — for example, marine, forest and wetland ecosystems.
2 · The Three-Tier Governance Structure
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National
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
Apex statutory body; advises the Centre and regulates access and benefit-sharing.
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State & UT
State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs)
Adapt policy to regional needs and regulate access to resources at the state level.
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Local
Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs)
Local-body committees that prepare People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs).
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| The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (amended in 2023) is India’s main law for conserving biological resources and sharing the benefits from their use. Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) means anyone using India’s resources or related traditional knowledge for commercial gain must share a fair return with local communities. |
3 · Core analysis
A. The statutory backbone
- Section 39 – national repositories: the Centre designates institutions to safely store biological specimens; 20 institutions have been designated so far.
- Section 27 – NBAF: the National Biodiversity Authority Fund channels benefit-sharing money into local conservation.
- Scientific support: the ZSI, BSI, FSI and NTCA provide the data and field backing.
B. Community stewardship
- Wide reach: about 2.77 lakh BMCs have been set up across rural and urban local bodies.
- Local databases: nearly 2.73 lakh PBRs record native species, landraces, breeds and traditional knowledge; a national drive is digitising them into ePBRs.
C. Access and Benefit Sharing in practice
- Online system: the ABS e-Filing Portal (launched 2017) made approvals faster and more transparent.
- Returns to communities: over 12,000 utilisation approvals issued; a reported ~₹145 crore disbursed to beneficiaries, supporting around 11,000 BMCs.
4 · Way forward
| Guard digitised knowledge. As PBRs become ePBRs, build strong safeguards against biopiracy of digital traditional knowledge. |
| Make benefit-sharing reach the BMC. Ensure ABS revenue actually flows to grassroots committees, not just to higher tiers. |
| Secure long-term finance. Combine the statutory NBAF with the UNDP-backed BIOFIN initiative to fund conservation steadily. |
| Deliver on global targets. Translate the NBSAP (2024-2030) into measurable action under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). |
| The model shows results — tiger numbers rose from 2,226 (2014) to 3,682 (2022), forest and tree cover stands at 25.17% of land area, and the country has 1,134 protected areas. The real test now is whether benefits reach local communities and whether digitised knowledge is protected — making fair, leak-proof benefit-sharing the next frontier. |
| UPSC Value Box | ||||||||||||||||
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| Quick Revision |
- International Day for Biological Diversity — 22 May; 2026 theme: “Acting locally for global impact.”
- BD Act 2002 (amended 2023); three tiers: NBA → State Biodiversity Boards → BMCs.
- BMCs: about 2.77 lakh; PBRs: about 2.73 lakh (being digitised as ePBRs).
- Section 39 = national repositories (20); Section 27 = NBAF.
- Forest & tree cover: 25.17% of area (8.27 lakh sq km) — ISFR 2023.
- Tigers: 2,226 (2014) → 3,682 (2022).
- Protected areas: 1,134.
- NBSAP 2024-2030 aligns with KMGBF; NR-7 submitted to CBD.
| Mains Practice Question |
| India has built a strong three-tier institutional framework for biodiversity, yet challenges of fair benefit-sharing and biopiracy persist. Discuss, with reference to the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 and the digitisation of People’s Biodiversity Registers. (15 marks · 250 words) |
Structure hint:
Introduction — open with the three-tier structure (NBA → SBBs → BMCs) under the BD Act
Body Part 1 — institutional strengths: BMCs, PBRs/ePBRs, ABS portal, NBAF
Body Part 2 — the gaps: weak benefit flow to communities, biopiracy risk from digitised knowledge
Body Part 3 — the 2023 amendment — easing compliance vs protecting community rights
Way Forward — safeguards for ePBRs, leak-proof ABS, NBAF + BIOFIN finance, KMGBF targets
Introduction — open with the three-tier structure (NBA → SBBs → BMCs) under the BD Act
Body Part 1 — institutional strengths: BMCs, PBRs/ePBRs, ABS portal, NBAF
Body Part 2 — the gaps: weak benefit flow to communities, biopiracy risk from digitised knowledge
Body Part 3 — the 2023 amendment — easing compliance vs protecting community rights
Way Forward — safeguards for ePBRs, leak-proof ABS, NBAF + BIOFIN finance, KMGBF targets
Must mention:
Biological Diversity Act, 2002 / 2023 ·
NBA–SBB–BMC ·
PBR / ePBR ·
Access and Benefit Sharing ·
KMGBF
Biological Diversity Act, 2002 / 2023 ·
NBA–SBB–BMC ·
PBR / ePBR ·
Access and Benefit Sharing ·
KMGBF
Conclusion hint: Close by arguing that India’s biodiversity success will be judged less by institutions created and more by whether benefits and protection genuinely reach local communities.
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