Why it is in the news
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) received ₹9.68 crore under India's Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework during 1 April–30 September 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced on 8 October 2026. The payments came from Indian and foreign users of India's biological resources — seed companies, food, nutraceutical, enzyme and AYUSH firms — under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, as amended in 2023, and the ABS Regulations.
The exam angle
Issue: Has India's Access and Benefit Sharing regime achieved its twin goals of curbing biopiracy and rewarding communities that conserve biodiversity, or has it become a revenue-collection mechanism with weak local reach?