MoEFCC and the National Biodiversity Authority have launched a five-year project to strengthen biodiversity governance in Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya. The initiative focuses on operationalising Biodiversity Management Committees, documenting People's Biodiversity Registers, and ensuring fair benefit-sharing under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The project aligns with India's commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which targets protecting 30% of land and ocean by 2030.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, as a statutory body under MoEFCC. It operates as the apex body implementing India's obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), particularly the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).

Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) are local bodies constituted at the Panchayat or municipal level to promote conservation, sustainable use, and documentation of biological resources. Their primary task is to prepare People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) — comprehensive records of local biological resources, their medicinal and other uses, and associated traditional knowledge.

The project targets Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya — two ecologically significant states. Tamil Nadu falls within the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, one of 36 globally recognised hotspots. Meghalaya is part of the Indo-Burma hotspot and is notable for high endemism and traditional community conservation practices.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted at CBD COP15 in December 2022 in Montreal, set the landmark '30x30' target — protecting at least 30% of the planet's land, inland waters, coastal areas, and oceans by 2030. India's current protected area network covers roughly 5% of its land, making BMC-led conservation of community lands critical to meeting this gap.

For exam purposes, this project connects three testable pillars: the institutional architecture (NBA → BMC → PBR), the legislative basis (Biological Diversity Act, 2002), and the international framework (CBD, Nagoya Protocol, Kunming-Montreal GBF).