The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed ₹8.22 crore to three research institutions and 33 State Biodiversity Boards and UT Biodiversity Councils, one of the largest single access and benefit-sharing (ABS) releases for rice. Institutions will use the money for germplasm conservation, seed collections, research and training, while the boards will fund conservation of native crop diversity, ecosystem restoration, documentation of traditional knowledge and support to farmers. The move backs Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and SDGs 2, 12, 15 and 17. NBA is a statutory body under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, functioning under the Environment Ministry and implementing the Nagoya Protocol's benefit-sharing principle.