The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has reconstituted the Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity for a one-year term, appointing Padma Shri Dr PL Gautam as Chair and Dr Trilochan Mohapatra as Co-Chair. The committee will guide the conservation, sustainable use, and access and benefit-sharing of agricultural biodiversity under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. This reconstitution reinforces India’s efforts to safeguard its agricultural genetic resources and meet its international biodiversity commitments.
What Is the Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity?
The Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity is a statutory advisory body constituted under Section 13(1) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The Act specifically defines agrobiodiversity as the biological diversity of agriculture-related species and their wild relatives. The committee has been advising the NBA on agricultural biodiversity matters since 2005 and is reconstituted periodically to address emerging challenges in the sector.
The committee brings together experts and senior representatives from leading institutions across the country, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), National Bureaus of Plant, Animal and Fish Genetic Resources, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, National Innovation Foundation, and NALSAR University of Law. Its multi-disciplinary composition allows it to examine issues from scientific, legal, and policy perspectives.
Who Are the Experts Leading the Committee?
Padma Shri Dr PL Gautam (Chair)
Dr Prem Lal Gautam is a renowned agricultural scientist who was recently conferred the Padma Shri for his distinguished contributions to agricultural science. Born on 12 December 1947 in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, he holds a PhD in Genetics from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi.
Dr Gautam has held several top positions, including Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority, Chairperson of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA), Vice-Chancellor of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, and Deputy Director General (Crop Sciences) at ICAR. He also served as Director of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources and played a key role in drafting national legislation on plant variety protection and biodiversity conservation.
Dr Trilochan Mohapatra (Co-Chair)
Dr Trilochan Mohapatra currently serves as the Chairperson of PPVFRA, a statutory body under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Born on 20 April 1962 in Kharibil, Cuttack, Odisha, he earned his PhD in Genetics from IARI, New Delhi.
Dr Mohapatra is a former Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and former Director General of ICAR (2016 to 2022), where he led India’s agricultural research system. He also served as Director and Vice-Chancellor of IARI, New Delhi, and Director of the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack. A distinguished molecular geneticist, he developed India’s first high-yielding Basmati rice variety resistant to bacterial leaf blight through molecular marker-assisted selection. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Sciences, India, and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
What Will the Committee Do?
The reconstituted committee has a broad mandate covering multiple aspects of agricultural biodiversity governance. It will advise the NBA on integrating biodiversity considerations into the agriculture sector and promoting sustainable farming practices.
One of its key tasks is to examine issues relating to the seed sector under the Biological Diversity Act, including access and benefit-sharing arrangements for seed exports. The committee will also review existing guidelines for international collaborative research involving biological resources, as required under Section 5 of the Act, and recommend improvements.
On the conservation front, the committee will recommend measures for protecting threatened native crop varieties and livestock breeds. It will also provide technical and policy inputs to support India’s engagement with international agreements on agricultural biodiversity, particularly the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
Agrobiodiversity and India’s Global Commitments
The committee’s work is closely tied to India’s obligations under several international frameworks. The ITPGRFA, adopted under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001, aims at the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from their use. India is a signatory to this treaty.
At the national level, the committee will support the achievement of Targets 4 and 13 of India’s updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2024-2030, which was released at COP16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Colombia in October 2024. The NBSAP, aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, sets 23 national biodiversity targets.
The committee’s work also contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land), through the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural genetic resources, native crop varieties, and livestock diversity.
Key Takeaways
- The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) reconstituted the Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity under Section 13(1) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 for a one-year term.
- Padma Shri Dr PL Gautam, former Chairperson of NBA and PPVFRA, has been appointed as the Chair of the committee.
- Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Chairperson of PPVFRA and former Secretary of DARE and Director General of ICAR, has been appointed as the Co-Chair.
- The NBA was established in 2003 under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, with its headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- The PPVFRA was established under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001, and is headquartered in New Delhi under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- The committee will support India’s commitments under the ITPGRFA, the NBSAP 2024-2030 (Targets 4 and 13), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2, 13, and 15).
