GS3 · Biodiversity / IPR

First patent-linked access and benefit sharing payout

Battle IAS current affairs title card: First patent-linked access and benefit sharing payout (GS3 · Biodiversity / IPR, 11 November 2025)
Asked by UPSCPrelims 2023, 2016, 20123 PYQs

UPSC has already asked about this. Read the story with these questions in mind.

See all 3 PYQs

What happened

  • The National Biodiversity Authority released ₹43.22 lakh of patent-linked ABS funds, for the first time, from IPR applications that used Indian biological resources [PIB].
  • The money went to 16 State Biodiversity Boards, including Uttar Pradesh, for passing on to benefit claimers [PIB].

Background

  • Section 6 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 requires NBA approval before seeking IP rights on inventions based on Indian biological resources [India Code].

Why it matters

  • This closes a gap where companies patented products from Indian plants without paying the communities that conserved them.

How to use this in Mains

GS-III Biodiversity / IPR

  1. As per PIB (2025-11-11): the National Biodiversity Authority released ₹43.22 lakh of patent-linked ABS funds, for the first time, from IPR applications that used Indian biological resources.
  2. This closes a gap where companies patented products from Indian plants without paying the communities that conserved them.
Quotable data point

The money went to 16 State Biodiversity Boards, including Uttar Pradesh, for passing on to benefit claimers.

PIB: MoEFCC: NBA patent-linked ABS release, 11 Nov 2025

Exam angle

UPSC

Prelims: ABS, Nagoya Protocol.

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPSC

Amount of the first patent-linked ABS release

Answer (b) & explanation

PIB.

Practice · UPSC

Number of SBBs receiving funds

Answer (b) & explanation

PIB.

Practice · UPSC

ABS is rooted in which treaty framework?

Answer (a) & explanation

PIB.

Go deeper

Official source: PIB: MoEFCC: NBA patent-linked ABS release, 11 Nov 2025

facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending