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The National Biodiversity Authority crossed a cumulative Access and Benefit-Sharing disbursement of Rs 200 crore, announced in early September 2026.
It sanctioned Rs 8.23 crore to 27 State Biodiversity Boards and 5 Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.
The proceeds came from seed companies Nunhems India, East West Seeds India and Bayer Science and Innovation for the use of bitter gourd, okra, chilli and onion.
Because the resources were sourced from open markets and could not be traced to particular communities, the money was allocated using crop cultivation area data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The funds must be used for purposes listed under Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, including People's Biodiversity Registers and Biodiversity Heritage Sites.
Anyone commercially using India's biological resources or the traditional knowledge attached to them must share part of the gain. The money flows back to the states and, where traceable, to the communities that conserved the resource.
Simple Analogy: A royalty paid to the people who kept the variety alive.
The parent Act that created the NBA and the ABS mechanism; it commenced in 2003-04 and gives effect to India's obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity
Lists what State Biodiversity Boards may spend ABS proceeds on - documentation and updation of People's Biodiversity Registers, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, restoration of degraded ecosystems, strengthening Biodiversity Heritage Sites, capacity building of Biodiversity Management Committees and community livelihoods
Amended the 2002 Act, easing compliance for cultivated medicinal plants and users such as AYUSH practitioners while retaining the ABS framework
The supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity that governs ABS internationally; India is a party and the domestic ABS machinery gives effect to it
Statutory body established on 1 October 2003 under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002; it performs regulatory, facilitative and advisory functions and administers ABS at the national level
Operate at the state level and receive ABS proceeds for conservation and community-benefit spending under Section 32(2)
Function at the local body level; they prepare People's Biodiversity Registers documenting local biological resources and associated knowledge
The NBA functions under this ministry
GS Paper 3 > Environment > Conservation, biodiversity legislation and statutory bodies
General Awareness > Environment and Statutory Bodies
General Awareness > Environment Current Affairs
Consider the following statements: 1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realization of the objectives of the 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?
Answer: Both 1 and 2
The mechanism for sharing monetary and non-monetary gains from the use of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge
A local record of biological resources and associated knowledge, prepared by the Biodiversity Management Committee
An area notified for its rich biodiversity, whose strengthening is one permitted use of ABS proceeds
The 2010 supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity governing access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing