Current Affairs

NBA Provides Rs. 6.09 Cr Financial Support to State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils in FY 2025–26

NBA Provides Rs. 6.09 Cr Financial Support to State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils in FY 2025–26

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, extended financial assistance of Rs 6.09 crore to State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs) based on proposals received in FY 2025-26, marking a significant step towards strengthening India’s decentralized biodiversity governance framework.

The financial assistance supports key institutional and programmatic components essential for effective implementation of the Act at State and local body levels, with a strategic shift from mere constitution of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) toward strengthening their functionality, improving the quality of People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), and enhancing Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) implementation. The assistance is aimed at reinforcing statutory institutions, improving the quality of biodiversity documentation, and accelerating implementation of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanisms at the grassroots level.

The support is being provided under the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, which mandates conservation, sustainable use, and equitable benefit sharing arising from biological resources.

Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), constituted by local bodies under Section 41 of the Act, serve as the foundation of India’s community-based biodiversity governance system. These committees are responsible for preparing and maintaining People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), a comprehensive document that records local biological resources and associated traditional knowledge. With a substantial number of PBRs prepared in a time-bound manner, the current phase of assistance prioritizes:

Quality improvement of PBRs

Strengthening and functionalization of BMCs

Capacity building and awareness generation

Technical guidance through Thematic Expert Committees

Knowledge exchange through peer learning visits

Digital strengthening through website development

State-wise financial assistance released by NBA to various SBBs and UtBCs:

S. No.

SBBs/UTBCs

Grant-in-Aid from General

Grant-in-Aid from NBF–Admn

Total

Andhra Pradesh

₹ 9,50,000

–   

₹ 9,50,000

Arunachal Pradesh

₹ 12,89,100 

₹ 7,50,000 

₹ 20,39,100 

Assam

₹ 10,00,000 

–   

₹ 10,00,000 

Bihar

₹ 11,45,000 

–   

₹ 11,45,000 

Chandigarh

₹ 1,88,000 

–   

₹ 1,88,000 

Chattisgarh

₹ 3,50,000 

–   

₹ 3,50,000 

Delhi

₹ 5,00,000 

₹ 5,00,000 

Goa

₹ 12,00,000 

₹ 7,50,000 

₹ 19,50,000 

Gujarat

₹ 13,50,000 

₹ 2,12,400 

₹ 15,62,400 

Haryana

₹ 28,64,387 

₹ 14,50,000 

₹ 43,14,387 

Himachal Pradesh

₹ 12,33,611 

₹ 12,33,611 

Jammu & Kashmir

₹ 27,26,079 

₹ 3,19,640 

₹ 30,45,719 

Jharkhand

₹ 73,06,023 

–   

₹ 73,06,023 

Karnataka

₹ 10,16,262 

₹ 6,83,738 

₹ 17,00,000 

Kerala

₹ 10,45,676 

₹ 6,00,000   

₹ 16,45,676 

Ladakh

₹ 5,35,000 

–   

₹ 5,35,000 

Lakshadweep

₹ 2,84,750 

–   

₹ 2,84,750 

Madhya Pradesh

₹ 30,64,536 

₹ 6,62,746 

₹ 37,27,282 

Maharashtra

₹ 9,50,000 

₹ 2,00,000 

₹ 11,50,000 

Manipur

₹ 9,60,400 

–   

₹ 9,60,400 

Meghalaya

₹ 9,50,000 

₹ 7,49,600 

₹ 16,99,600 

Mizoram

₹ 6,50,000 

–   

₹ 6,50,000 

Nagaland

₹ 21,76,515 

₹ 7,49,600 

₹ 29,26,115 

Odisha

₹ 9,50,000 

–   

₹ 9,50,000 

Puducherry

₹ 8,49,028 

–   

₹ 8,49,028 

Punjab

₹ 5,81,481 

–   

₹ 5,81,481 

Rajasthan

₹ 50,96,923 

₹ 2,05,000 

₹ 53,01,923 

Sikkim

₹ 10,14,036 

₹ 7,45,924 

₹ 17,59,960 

Tamil Nadu

₹ 19,80,401 

–   

₹ 19,80,401 

Telangana

₹ 10,05,000 

₹ 7,50,000 

₹ 17,55,000 

Tripura

₹ 15,77,886 

–   

₹ 15,77,886 

Uttar Pradesh

₹ 14,00,000 

₹ 6,50,000 

₹ 20,50,000 

Uttarakhand

₹ 11,56,166 

₹ 5,93,834 

₹ 17,50,000 

West Bengal

₹ 5,27,796 

₹ 10,00,204 

₹ 15,28,000 

Total

₹ 4,93,74,056 

₹ 1,16,22,686

₹ 6,09,96,742

*The allocations indicated in the table below vary depending on proposals received, priority requirements, and compliance with the NBA guidelines.

The country has achieved a major milestone with the constitution of 2,76,653 BMCs and preparation of 2,72,648 PBRs, making it one of the largest participatory biodiversity documentation exercises globally.

Component-wise financial assistance released by NBA to various SBBs and UTBCs

GIA Components

Fund Released

BMC Constitution – Seed funding

₹ 32,61,023 

Capacity building program for BMC 

₹ 18,79,244 

Developing/revamping of website revalidated

₹ ,18,630 

Awareness Programmes – Exhibition

₹ 24,21,954 

Expert Committee on SBBs/UTBCs

₹ 7,34,300 

International Day for Biodiversity

₹ 1,26,12,539 

Outsourcing Staff

₹ 2,72,25,322 

Peer to Peer Learning

₹ 14,41,553 

Preparation of PBR & updation

₹ 81,19,431 

Strengthening of BMC 

₹ 27,12,746 

Thematic Expert Committee 

₹ 2,20,000 

Updation of Strategic and Action Plan

₹ 2,50,000

Grand Total

₹ ₹ 6,09,96,742

By strengthening institutions at the local level and linking conservation with community welfare, the NBA continues to advance an inclusive and participatory model of biodiversity governance where ecological sustainability and livelihood security go hand in hand.

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