The Lok Sabha on July 25 passed the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Bill aims to amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Key points
- The amended Bill was drafted in response to complaints by traditional Indian medicine practitioners, the seed sector, industry and researchers that the Act imposed a heavy compliance burden and made it hard to conduct collaborative research and investments and simplify patent application processes.
- The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks to exempt registered AYUSH medical practitioners from intimating biodiversity boards before accessing biological resources.
- It also aims at easing compliance burden, boosting investment and simplifying patent application processes.
- The Bill sought to exempt registered AYUSH medical practitioners and people accessing codified traditional knowledge, among others, from giving prior intimation to State biodiversity boards to access biological resources for certain purposes.
- It decriminalises a range of offences under the Act and substitutes them with monetary penalties.
- It empowers government officials to hold inquiries and determine penalties.
- The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 was framed to give effect to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992, that strives for sustainable, fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge.
- Environmental organisations have raised concerns about potential for “bio piracy” they say amendments favour industry and there is lack of clarity on benefit sharing with local communities.
