NBA Revises Guidelines for Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Funds 2026

NBA Guidelines 2026: Enhancing Equity in Biological Resource Utilization

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), in its 77th meeting held in March 2026, approved revised guidelines under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. These updates aim to streamline the utilization of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) funds, ensuring that the local communities who protect India's biodiversity receive a fair share of the profits derived from these resources.

Key Financial Allocation Framework

• Identifiable Source: In cases where the origin of a biological resource is known, 60–75% of the ABS funds will be distributed to the local communities, while 25–40% will go to the supporting institutions or repositories.


• Unidentifiable Source: When the source cannot be traced, 70% of the funds will be allocated to the NBA or State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) for conservation activities, and 30% will go to the relevant institutions.


• Digital Documentation: The guidelines promote the creation of digital repositories and robust documentation to track the provenance of voucher specimens.

Strategic Objective

The primary goal is to prevent biopiracy and ensure that commercial users of bio-resources (like pharmaceutical and biotech firms) compensate the traditional knowledge holders. For TNPSC and D.Pharm students, this is a vital update under "Environment and Biodiversity," showcasing the practical implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in India.