Key Details
The first meeting of the reconstituted National Advisory Board on Management of Genetic Resources (NABMGR) reviewed India's agrobiodiversity priorities and outlined strategic directions for the conservation, sustainable utilisation and governance of agricultural genetic resources.
Priority Area | Key Direction |
|---|---|
Integrated management | Develop a coordinated national framework linking plant, animal, fish, microbial and insect genetic resources across the six ICAR National Bureaux. |
Climate-resilient breeding | Expand pre-breeding and increase the use of conserved germplasm, including wild relatives, in crop, livestock and fish improvement. |
Future germplasm collection | Identify unexplored regions for systematic collection during 2026–2031. |
Traditional genetic resources | Mainstream traditional and underutilised crop varieties, livestock breeds, fish species, microbes and insects through an inter-institutional programme. |
Biodiversity governance | Strengthen implementation of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) provisions and review institutional responsibilities under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. |
International collaboration | Expand germplasm exchange and scientific cooperation, particularly with Central Asia and South-East Asia. |
Legal framework | Explore legal protection for animal and fish genetic resources on the lines of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act (PPV&FRA). |
National Safety Genebank | Complete the facility before ICAR's centenary (2028–29). |
Genetic Resources Are Becoming Part of India's Strategic Agricultural Infrastructure
The first meeting of the reconstituted National Advisory Board on Management of Genetic Resources (NABMGR)signals a broader shift in how India approaches agrobiodiversity. Rather than viewing plant, animal, fish, microbial and insect genetic resources primarily as assets to be conserved, the Board positions them as strategic national resourcesthat can strengthen food security, climate resilience, agricultural innovation and sustainable livelihoods. This expands the role of genetic resource management from biodiversity conservation to long-term agricultural planning.
Integration Is Emerging as the New Organising Principle
The Board repeatedly emphasised the need to connect systems that have often worked separately. It called for closer coordination among the six ICAR National Bureaux, stronger links between genetic resources, soil science, digital agriculture and crop improvement, and an integrated national framework covering plants, livestock, fisheries, microbes and insects. The objective is to ensure that conserved genetic diversity is used more systematically to develop climate-resilient, location-specific crops, livestock and production systems.
Governance Now Extends Beyond Conservation
Managing genetic resources increasingly involves questions of access, collaboration and equitable use, not just preservation. The meeting therefore reviewed Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) under the Biological Diversity Act, discussed legal protections for animal and fish genetic resources, called for stronger international germplasm exchange, and proposed mainstreaming traditional and underutilised species through coordinated national programmes. Together, these recommendations point towards a more integrated governance framework for India's agrobiodiversity in the years leading up to ICAR's centenary.
What Is the National Advisory Board on Management of Genetic Resources (NABMGR)?
The National Advisory Board on Management of Genetic Resources (NABMGR) is an advisory body constituted by ICAR to recommend national policies and long-term strategies for the conservation, sustainable utilisation and coordinated management of India's plant, animal, fish, microbial and insect genetic resources. It also advises on emerging national and international issues relating to agrobiodiversity.
Policy Relevance
Agrobiodiversity becomes a strategic national capability: Genetic resources are increasingly being treated as inputs for food security, climate resilience and future agricultural competitiveness, rather than solely as conservation assets.
Integrated governance replaces fragmented management: Bringing together genetic resources across plants, livestock, fisheries, microbes and insects can improve coordination between research institutions, biodiversity authorities and breeding programmes.
Climate adaptation gains a stronger scientific foundation: Greater use of conserved germplasm, pre-breeding and location-specific genetic resources can support crops and livestock better adapted to changing climatic conditions.
Traditional and underutilised species receive greater policy attention: Mainstreaming indigenous varieties, breeds and other biological resources can broaden agricultural resilience while preserving valuable genetic diversity.
Benefit-sharing becomes central to innovation: Stronger implementation of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) provisions and possible legal protection for animal and fish genetic resources seek to balance scientific innovation with the interests of farmers, livestock keepers and local communities.
International collaboration strengthens India's genetic resource base: Strategic germplasm exchange and scientific partnerships can expand access to valuable traits needed for future crop and livestock improvement.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India better connect biodiversity conservation, agricultural research and breeding programmes so that its rich genetic resources contribute more effectively to climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture?
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