Source: News on Air
Context
Following directions in a suo motu proceeding by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) constituted a multi-disciplinary Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species. The NBA is an autonomous statutory body under the MoEFCC, implementing the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
About the NBA
- Established: 1 October 2003, headquartered at Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- Performs regulatory, advisory and facilitative functions to safeguard India’s biological resources and associated traditional knowledge.
- Aim: conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits (Access and Benefit Sharing, ABS).
The Three-Tier Structure
- National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) — national level, Chennai.
- State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) — 28 boards, regulating commercial utilisation and bio-surveys by Indian citizens in their territories.
- Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) — about 2.76 lakh at panchayat and municipal level, preparing People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs).
Key Functions
- Advising the Central Government on conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing.
- Biodiversity Heritage Sites — advises state governments on notifying ecologically significant areas under Section 37.
- Regulating IPR and commercial access — grants approvals under Sections 3, 4 and 6 for foreign individuals or entities seeking access to Indian biological resources, transfer of research results, or IPR based on biological material.
- Overseeing SBBs and empowering BMCs.
- Constituting expert committees — such as the new panel on Invasive Alien Species.
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to the National Biodiversity Authority, consider the following statements:
- It is an autonomous statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, established in 2003 and headquartered at Chennai.
- It was constituted to implement the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- It advises state governments on the notification of Biodiversity Heritage Sites under Section 37 of the Act.
- Indian citizens and Indian companies must obtain prior approval of the NBA before accessing biological resources for commercial use.
How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
Q2. With reference to biodiversity governance in India, consider the following statements:
- Biodiversity Management Committees at panchayat and municipal level prepare People’s Biodiversity Registers documenting local resources and traditional knowledge.
- Approval of the NBA is required before applying for any intellectual property right based on research on Indian biological resources.
- The Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species was constituted by the NBA following directions in a suo motu proceeding of the National Green Tribunal.
- India ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, whose three objectives include the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
Answer Key
- (c) — Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Indian citizens and Indian bodies need only give prior intimation to the State Biodiversity Board under Section 7; prior NBA approval under Sections 3, 4 and 6 applies to foreigners, NRIs and foreign-controlled entities.
- (d) — All four statements are correct.
