- The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed Rs 2.02 crore of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) funds sourced from the seed sector. - The funds are directed towards grassroots level biodiversity conservation and enhancing community well-being. - ABS mechanism operationalizes the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, aligning with the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Nagoya Protocol. - Empowers local institutions and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) to promote conservation and sustainable livelihoods. - **National Biodiversity Authority (NBA):** India's statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, to regulate access to biological resources, promote conservation, and ensure fair and equitable benefit-sharing with local communities. - **Biological Diversity Act, 2002:** India's umbrella legislation enacted to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity, focusing on the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and equitable sharing of benefits arising from resource utilization. - **Nagoya Protocol:** An international supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that provides a transparent legal framework for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources. **Introduction** The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed Rs 2.02 crore in Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) funds collected from the seed sector. The initiative aims to bolster biodiversity conservation, support sustainable resource management, and improve community well-being at the grassroots level by channeling financial benefits back to local custodians of biological resources in compliance with the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed Rs 2.02 crore of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) funds sourced from the seed sector. - The funds are directed towards grassroots level biodiversity conservation and enhancing community well-being. - ABS mechanism operationalizes the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, aligning with the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Nagoya Protocol. - Empowers local institutions and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) to promote conservation and sustainable livelihoods. **Key Statutory Bodies, Acts & Concepts** - **National Biodiversity Authority (NBA):** India's statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, to regulate access to biological resources, promote conservation, and ensure fair and equitable benefit-sharing with local communities. - **Biological Diversity Act, 2002:** India's umbrella legislation enacted to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity, focusing on the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and equitable sharing of benefits arising from resource utilization. - **Nagoya Protocol:** An international supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that provides a transparent legal framework for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.