Regulatory reforms under Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 lead to surge in IPR filings

• Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 revamps India's 2002 biodiversity law; National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has reported a surge in IPR applications linked to Indian bioresources.
• Applicants under Section 7 must secure a Certificate of Registration (CoR) from NBA before filing for IPR (including patents) based on Indian biological resources.
• Relevant for UPSC GS-III (biodiversity/IPR/biotech) and GS-II (statutory bodies, legislative reform) — convergence of CBD/Nagoya obligations, ease-of-research, and Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS).