National Biodiversity Authority Disburses ₹5.68 Crore in ABS Funds

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed ₹5.68 crore, or ₹5,68,18,277, under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism on 30 August 2026. The funds were transferred to State Biodiversity Boards, Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, and a national research institution from the commercial use of agricultural biological resources.

Access and Benefit-Sharing under the Biological Diversity framework

Access and Benefit-Sharing is a mechanism linked to the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004. It provides for sharing monetary and non-monetary benefits arising from the use of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge.

The NBA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It functions at the national level, while State Biodiversity Boards and Biodiversity Management Committees operate at the state and local levels.

Commercial crops linked to the disbursement

The latest ABS funds came mainly from the commercial use of Okra, Cucumber, and Watermelon. Okra accounted for the largest share at ₹3.51 crore, covering 139 varieties and 28 hybrids.

Watermelon involved 662 varieties and 15 hybrids, while Cucumber involved 1,009 varieties and 14 hybrids. The commercial buyers included Nunhems India Private Limited, East West Seeds India Private Limited, and Bayer Science and Innovation Private Limited.

Distribution of funds and institutional recipients

Because the biological resources were sourced from open markets and traders, individual source farmers could not be identified. The NBA distributed the funds among states on the basis of actual crop cultivation volumes.

Gujarat received ₹88.79 lakh, West Bengal received ₹78.08 lakh, Madhya Pradesh received ₹64.90 lakh, and Odisha received ₹59.01 lakh. A smaller amount was allocated to the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory’s National Culture Collection of Industrial Microorganisms in Pune.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Biological Diversity Act, 2002, is the principal law governing biodiversity conservation and benefit-sharing in India.
• The National Biodiversity Authority was established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
• Access and Benefit-Sharing is associated with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol.
• India uses State Biodiversity Boards and Biodiversity Management Committees for decentralised biodiversity governance.

The cumulative amount distributed under India’s ABS mechanism has crossed ₹191 crore. Okra, Cucumber, and Watermelon are among the agricultural biological resources used in commercial breeding and seed development.