NBA disburses ₹5.68 crore ABS funds for okra, cucumber, watermelon
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UPSC has already asked about this. Read the story with these questions in mind.
On 30 August 2026 the National Biodiversity Authority disbursed ₹5.68 crore under Access and Benefit-Sharing to State Biodiversity Boards, UT Biodiversity Councils and a research institution. Most of it relates to okra, cucumber and watermelon accessed by seed companies. Okra alone accounted for ₹3.51 crore to 32 boards. Total ABS disbursed has crossed ₹191 crore.
- Date
- 30 Aug 2026
- Body
- National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
- Amount
- ₹5.68 crore
- Crops
- okra, cucumber, watermelon
- Okra share
- ₹3.51 crore to 32 SBBs and UTBCs
- Total ABS so far
- over ₹191 crore
NBA’s ₹5.68 crore ABS disbursement: what happened?
When a company uses India’s biological resources, the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 requires it to share benefits. Usually money goes to the communities that conserved the resource. Here the seeds came from markets and traders, so no single community could be traced.
- NBA released ₹5.68 crore under Access and Benefit-Sharing; ₹3.51 crore for okra (139 varieties, 28 hybrids) to 32 SBBs/UTBCs [PIB].
How was the money shared?
- An Expert Committee recommended, and the Authority approved, sharing among States and UTs where the crop is grown.
- Gujarat got the most, ₹88,79,304, followed by West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
- Uttar Pradesh received ₹36,90,952.
- CSIR-NCL’s National Culture of Industrial Microorganisms, Pune, got funds from an ABS amount paid by HPCL.
How must the funds be used?
- Under Section 32 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- Uses include People’s Biodiversity Registers, conservation, restoring degraded ecosystems, protecting wild relatives of crops and Biodiversity Heritage Sites.
What can Prelims ask on NBA’s ₹5.68 crore ABS disbursement?
- ABS: Access and Benefit-Sharing under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- Fund use by SBBs: Section 32 of the Act.
- NBA total ABS disbursed: over ₹191 crore (Aug 2026).
How to use this in Mains
- As per PIB (2026-08-30): NBA released ₹5.68 crore under Access and Benefit-Sharing; ₹3.51 crore for okra (139 varieties, 28 hybrids) to 32 SBBs/UTBCs.
- Rewards communities that conserved crop diversity.
Quotable data pointNBA released ₹5.68 crore under Access and Benefit-Sharing.
PIB: MoEFCC: NBA ABS ₹5.68 crore, 30 Aug 2026
Exam angle
Prelims: ABS; Nagoya Protocol.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
Funds released by NBA to State Biodiversity Boards are to be used under which Section of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002?
Answer (c) & explanation
PIB (MoEFCC), 30 Aug 2026.
Questions students ask about this
Which companies accessed the crops?
Nunhems India, East West Seeds India and Bayer Science and Innovation, through markets and traders.
How much did NBA disburse on 30 August 2026?
₹5.68 crore under Access and Benefit-Sharing.
Which crops were involved?
Mainly okra, cucumber and watermelon, besides some microbial and agricultural resources.
Why was the money shared among States?
The resources came from markets and traders, so they could not be traced to specific farmers or communities.
Keep studying
Go deeper
Official source: PIB: MoEFCC: NBA ABS ₹5.68 crore, 30 Aug 2026
facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending