About National Biodiversity Authority (NBA):
- It is an autonomous, statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- Functions: The NBA performs facilitative, regulatory, and advisory functions for the Government of India, particularly on matters related to the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of biological resources, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from them.
- Advisory Role:
- This includes recommending policies, strategies, and action plans to both central and state
- A key advisory function involves guiding state governments on the selection of areas of biodiversity importance to be notified as heritage sites and recommending measures for managing such sites.
- Regulatory Role:
- The NBA regulates activities and issues guidelines for access to biological resources and for fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
- Foreign individuals or corporate bodies seeking to obtain biological resources or associated traditional knowledge for research, surveys, or commercial use must obtain prior approval from the NBA.
- The NBA is required to determine the terms of benefit-sharing while granting approvals.
- Indian citizens and companies, on the other hand, seek permissions from their respective SBBs for commercial purposes.
- It is mandatory to obtain prior approval from the NBA before applying for any intellectual property right – in India or abroad – that is based on a biological resource of Indian origin or associated traditional knowledge.
- Facilitative Role:
- Beyond regulation and advice, the NBA actively facilitates conservation action on the ground.
- It supports the establishment and capacity-building of State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), organises awareness and training programmes, and monitors and prevents actions prohibited under the Act.
- It also works to ensure that monetary and non-monetary benefits from bio-resources reach the local communities that have traditionally conserved them.
- Composition:
- Chairperson: An eminent person with proven knowledge and experience in biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and equitable sharing of benefits.
- 10 Ex officio Members: Senior representatives from the Government of India, nominated to provide policy insights and ensure inter-ministerial coordination.
- 5 Non-Official Members: Experts and professionals from diverse fields related to biodiversity management, nominated to contribute independent perspectives and specialized expertise.
- All members are appointed by the Central Government.
- Structure: The Act establishes a three-tier institutional structure: the NBA at the national level, the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) at the state level, and the Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the local body level.
- State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs): Functioning at the state level to regulate access to biological resources within their jurisdiction.
- Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs): Established at the local village or panchayat level to promote grassroots-level biodiversity conservation and documentation.
