National Biodiversity Authority Reconstitutes Agrobiodiversity Expert Committee

📌 Summary:

• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) reconstituted the Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity under Section 13(1) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, for one year
• Padma Shri Dr P. L. Gautam — eminent agricultural scientist and former NBA and PPVFRA Chairperson — appointed Chair; the PPVFRA Chairperson serves as Co-Chair
• The Committee advises on conservation, sustainable use and access and benefit-sharing (ABS) of agricultural biodiversity; it has existed since 2005
• It handles matters under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), ABS from export of crop seeds and animal embryos, and approvals for collaborative research under Section 5
• Membership includes the Ministry of Agriculture, ICAR and the National Bureaus of Plant, Animal and Fish Genetic Resources

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Environment & Biodiversity — institutional mechanisms for genetic resource conservation, ABS, and the link between biodiversity law and agricultural research.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• NBA established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (statutory body, HQ Chennai)
• ABS = Access and Benefit-Sharing; ITPGRFA = International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
• PPVFRA = Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority

🔑 Key Term: Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) — fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, a core principle of the Convention on Biological Diversity.