The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) approved revised guidelines under the Biological Diversity Act (BDA), 2002, on March 23, 2026, in Chennai. These updates include new regulations and amendments to strengthen Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanisms and the management of biological resources.
Access and Benefit Sharing Fund Distribution
The revised ABS framework allocates 25-40% of ABS funds to identifiable institutions or repositories for conservation and documentation. The remaining 60-75% is distributed to local communities through State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) when the biological resource source is identifiable. For non-identifiable sources, 30% of ABS funds are allocated to institutions, and 70% to the NBA and SBBs for collective biodiversity management as per Section 27 of the BDA.
Updates in Repository Guidelines and Digital Documentation
The NBA’s updated repository guidelines promote the digitisation of voucher specimens to facilitate remote identification and verification. These guidelines emphasise robust documentation and provenance records to ensure accurate tracking of biological materials.
Amendments and Regulatory Changes
The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, effective from April 1, 2024, revised the definition of “biological resources,” streamlined Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) approval for Indian entities, and replaced imprisonment penalties with fines. The Biological Diversity Rules, 2024, notified on October 22, 2024, and effective December 22, 2024, supersede the 2004 rules by simplifying online approval procedures with differentiated fees. The Biological Diversity Regulation 2025, notified on May 5, 2025, includes Digital Sequence Information (DSI) under the benefit-sharing regime and exempts cultivated medicinal plants from benefit sharing. It mandates a minimum 5% benefit sharing for high-value resources like red sanders, sandalwood, agarwood, and threatened species, which can exceed 20% for commercial use. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002, provides the legal framework for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in India. The NBA is the statutory body responsible for implementing the Act and regulating ABS mechanisms.
Last Modified: April 20, 2026