• Sanjiv Kumar Singh

This paper summarizes the main features of India’s Biological Diversity Act 2002 (BD Act) and its role in biodiversity conservation in the country. In order to implement this Act, in accordance with its section 8, a National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established in the year 2003. India’s biodiversity is severely threatened; wildlife populations, traditional cultures, geological cycles, and a range of other attributes are being destroyed. There are a variety of reasons for this, including increasing exploitation of biological resources for trade both at national and international levels. The BD Act provides provisions for regulated access to biological resources by bonafide end-users for various purposes including scientific research, commercial activities and sustainable use of non-timber forest produce. The Act is implemented through three functional bodies viz., NBA at the national level, State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) in different states, and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at the level of local community (Panchayat). At the national level, NBA is responsible for decisions pertaining to access and benefit sharing (ABS), approval for access to and transfer of biological resources, results or technology of scientific research to foreign citizens, companies or non-resident Indians and several other matters related to conservation of India’s biodiversity. The Act insists upon appropriate benefit sharing under mutually agreed terms related to access and transfer of biological resources or knowledge occurring in or obtained from India for various purposes.

Access and benefit sharing, biodiversity act, convention on biodiversity,

"Biological Biodiversity Act and Conservation", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 6, page no.1584-1590, June-2020, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2006230.pdf

"Biological Biodiversity Act and Conservation", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 6, page no. pp1584-1590, June-2020, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2006230.pdf