Access and Benefit Sharing framework

One line

India's Access and Benefit Sharing framework reported more than ₹266 crore realised and around ₹145 crore disbursed to communities and other beneficiaries.

Summary

ABS applies the idea that users of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge should share benefits with local communities, farmers, and knowledge holders. It links conservation with fairness, but money alone does not guarantee consent, ecological sustainability, or equitable distribution.

PYQ pattern

UPSC environment questions often ask how international principles become domestic institutions. Use the official UPSC archive and connect ABS with the Convention on Biological Diversity, local bodies, and traditional knowledge.

Core notes

The National Biodiversity Authority and Biodiversity Management Committees operate within India's biodiversity governance framework.
Benefit sharing may arise from use of plants, genetic resources, microorganisms, or associated knowledge.
Biodiversity Management Committees are local bodies intended to document and help govern biological diversity.
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 was amended in 2023. The exact legal duties and exemptions should be checked in the current text and rules.

Prelims lens

ABS is about benefits from the use of biological resources and associated knowledge.
National Biodiversity Authority is not the same as the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
Conservation and sustainable use are different but connected objectives.

MCQ 1

Under an ABS framework, benefits may be shared with:

Biodiversity Management Committees.
Farmers and traditional knowledge holders.

A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2

Reveal answer

C

PIB identified both as beneficiary groups, along with local communities and other custodians of biodiversity.

MCQ 2

ABS is most closely associated with:

A. fair and equitable sharing of benefits from biological-resource use
B. only the allocation of coal blocks
C. only the distribution of urban housing
D. setting the repo rate

Reveal answer

A

ABS links the use of biological resources and knowledge with benefit sharing and conservation.

Mains

Question, 10 marks, 150 words: How can Access and Benefit Sharing make biodiversity conservation more equitable and effective?

Approach:

Define biological resources, associated knowledge, and ABS.
Explain the role of NBA, BMCs, farmers, and local communities.
Discuss consent, valuation, elite capture, transaction costs, and ecological limits.
Recommend transparent registers, community participation, fair distribution, and conservation-linked use.