ABS cells to be set up in academic and R&D institutions for regulating use of bio-resources
The proposed units will regulate research activities to ensure that benefits – both monetary and non-monetary – are shared with resource providers. The revenue generated from these activities will be directed to local bodies in order to boost biodiversity conservation efforts.
Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has initiated steps to implement the Biological Diversity (Access to Biological Resources and Knowledge Associated Therewith and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits) Regulations, 2025. The new regulations call for a regulatory mechanism that grants approval to institutions for conducting research, bio-surveys, bio-utilisation or any commercial use of biological resources, including digital sequence information.
These will particularly apply for research collaborations with foreign entities, particularly those involving the deposition of novel microbial strains in overseas repositories for publication in international journals.
Key departments, including the Higher Education department, and agencies like the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), have been formally notified about the legal requirement to establish ABS cells.
According to V. Balakrishnan, member secretary of the KSBB, all institutions engaged in foreign research collaborations involving flora and fauna will now be required to seek prior approval. Approval will also be mandatory for any commercial use of notified species, even if foreign collaboration is not involved.
ABS cells will be responsible for reviewing and screening proposals to ensure compliance with the Biodiversity Act. Each ABS cell will be headed by a five-member committee of subject experts and coordinated by a nodal officer. A State-level committee, chaired by the KSBB chairperson, has already been formed to oversee the examination of applications.
The National Biodiversity Authority, which recently issued the new regulations, has also outlined specific benefit-sharing amounts for the commercial use of biological resources or associated knowledge for their commercial utilisation.
Applicants with an annual turnover up to ₹5 crore will not be required to pay any fees. However, those with a turnover between ₹5 crore and ₹50 crore will need to pay 0.2% of the annual gross ex-factory sales price of the product. For companies with a turnover between ₹50 crore and ₹250 crore, the fee will be 0.4%, while those with a turnover exceeding ₹250 crore will pay 0.6%.
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