National Biodiversity Authority Reconstitutes Agrobiodiversity Expert Committee; Padma Shri Dr P L Gautam Appointed Chair

1. At a Glance

• NBA has reconstituted its Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity under Section 13(1) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 for a one-year term, with Padma Shri Dr. P. L. Gautam (former NBA & PPVFRA Chairperson) as Chair [1].
• Mandate: expert guidance on conservation, sustainable use, and Access & Benefit-Sharing (ABS) of agricultural biodiversity [1].
• Relevant to GS-III (Environment, Agriculture) and GS-II (statutory bodies); recurring Prelims theme on NBA institutional architecture post-2023 amendment [5].

2. Why in the News

• 13 June 2026 PIB release: NBA reconstituted the Agrobiodiversity Expert Committee with Dr. P. L. Gautam as Chair, following his recent Padma Shri conferment [1].
• Part of a broader pattern of NBA constituting sectoral expert committees under Sec 13(1) — e.g., Invasive Alien Species committee (2025) [2].

3. Background & Evolution

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992 — India ratified 1994; obligations led to domestic legislation [4].
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002 enacted to give effect to CBD; created three-tier structure [3][4].
• NBA established 2003, headquartered at Chennai; statutory body under MoEFCC [4].
• Nagoya Protocol, 2010 on ABS — operationalised in India via NBA's ABS guidelines (2014) [4].
• Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 — notified 3 August 2023; eased compliance for Indian entities, exempted codified traditional knowledge and registered AYUSH practitioners, decriminalised offences, introduced Certificate of Registration for IPR linked to bioresources [5].
• Reform-driven surge in IPR filings post-2023 reported by PIB [5].

4. Core Static Facts

• Parent Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) [3].
• Statute: Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (amended 2023) [4][5].
• HQ: Chennai, Tamil Nadu [3].
• Three-tier structure:
• National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) — national level [3].
• State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) — state level [3].

• Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) — local body level (panchayat/municipal) [3][7].

• Section 8: Establishes NBA [4].

• Section 13(1): Empowers NBA to constitute committees for efficient discharge of functions — legal basis for the Agrobiodiversity Expert Committee [1][4].
• Section 22: SBBs; Section 41: BMCs [4].
• Section 6(1A) (inserted by 2023 Amendment): Registration with NBA before grant of IPR on Indian bioresources [5].
• Term of reconstituted Agrobiodiversity Committee: 1 year [1].
• Chair: Padma Shri Dr. P. L. Gautam — former Chair of NBA and Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPVFRA) [1].
• Recent finance action: NBA released ₹18.3 lakh to BMCs in UP and Sikkim as ABS benefits [7].
• NBSAP: Updated National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan launched at CBD COP-16, Cali (Colombia), October 2024 [6].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Legal/Constitutional
• Statutory committee under Sec 13(1); aligns with India's CBD & Nagoya Protocol obligations [1][4].

• 2023 amendment shifts ABS regime toward facilitation rather than gate-keeping for Indian entities [5].

• Environmental

• Agrobiodiversity loss = ~75% loss of crop genetic diversity (FAO baseline); committee tasked with conserving landraces, indigenous breeds, wild crop relatives [1].

• Synergy with NBSAP 2024 targets under Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) [6].

• Economic

• ABS revenues flow to BMCs and benefit-claimers; recent ₹18.3 lakh disbursal illustrates monetisation channel [7].

• 2023 amendment expected to boost domestic R&D and AYUSH/seed industries by simplifying IPR filings [5].

• Administrative

• Reconstitution shows institutional renewal; PPVFRA + NBA dual experience of Chair links seed regime (PPV&FR Act, 2001) with biodiversity regime [1].

• Ethical/Governance

• Tension: easing compliance for Indian companies vs. risk of dilution of farmers'/community benefit-sharing — flagged in PRS analysis of 2023 Bill [5].

6. Recent Developments (12-18 months)

• June 2026 — Agrobiodiversity Expert Committee reconstituted; Dr. P. L. Gautam appointed Chair [1].
• 2025 — NBA constituted Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species under Sec 13(1) [2].
• 2025 — NBA released ₹18.3 lakh ABS funds to BMCs in UP and Sikkim [7].
• 2025 — PIB highlighted surge in IPR filings post 2023 amendment [5].
• Oct 2024 — India launched updated NBSAP at CBD COP-16, Cali [6].
• 3 Aug 2023 — Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 notified [5].

7. Prelims Hooks

• NBA established under Biological Diversity Act, 2002; HQ at Chennai [3].
• Parent ministry: MoEFCC (not Ministry of Agriculture) [3].
• Section 13(1) empowers NBA to constitute expert committees [1][4].
• Three-tier structure: NBA → SBB → BMC [3].
• PPVFRA is under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, distinct from NBA [1].
• Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 decriminalised offences and introduced Sec 6(1A) registration for IPR [5].
• Codified traditional knowledge and registered AYUSH practitioners are exempt from prior approval under the 2023 Amendment [5].
• Updated NBSAP launched at CBD COP-16 in Colombia (Cali), 2024 [6].
• India ratified CBD in 1994; Nagoya Protocol governs ABS internationally [4].
• BMCs are constituted at local self-government level under Section 41 [4].
• Agrobiodiversity Expert Committee term: 1 year [1].
• Dr. P. L. Gautam — agricultural scientist; Padma Shri 2026; former NBA & PPVFRA Chair [1].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-III — Conservation, Biodiversity, Environment; Agriculture (seed systems, ABS).
• GS-II — Statutory & regulatory bodies; India and international treaties (CBD, Nagoya).
• Plausible question stems: 1. "The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 marks a paradigm shift from regulation to facilitation. Critically examine its implications for benefit-sharing and conservation." 2. "Agrobiodiversity is foundational to food security in the climate change era. Discuss India's institutional and legal framework for its conservation." 3. "Examine the three-tier institutional architecture under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. How effectively has it operationalised the Access and Benefit-Sharing regime?"

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 — primary linked legislation [5].
• PPVFRA & PPV&FR Act, 2001 — sister regime on farmers' rights [1].
• Nagoya Protocol & CBD COP-16 / KM-GBF — international framework [6].
• NBSAP 2024 — operational plan for biodiversity targets [6].
• BMCs & People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) — grassroots layer [7].
• National Gene Bank (ICAR-NBPGR) — ex-situ agrobiodiversity conservation.
• ITPGRFA (International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture) — FAO instrument complementing CBD.
• Invasive Alien Species Expert Committee (NBA, 2025) — parallel Sec 13(1) committee [2].

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Ministry confusion: NBA → MoEFCC, not Agriculture; PPVFRA → Agriculture, not MoEFCC [1][3].
• HQ confusion: NBA is in Chennai, not Delhi [3].
• Confusing Section 8 (establishment of NBA) with Section 13 (committees) or Section 41 (BMCs) [4].
• Assuming 2023 Amendment ended prior approval for all entities — it eased rules only for Indian entities not foreign-controlled [5].
• Treating Agrobiodiversity Expert Committee as a new body — it is a reconstituted statutory sub-committee, not a new authority [1].