The Cabinet has given the green signal of the signing of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) arising from the fair and equitable utilisation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
The protocol will also contribute to the twin objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity relating to the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources especially since India accounts for 7-8 per cent of the recorded species of the world.
The protocol was adopted by the Tenth Conference of Parties (COP 10) held in Nagoya in Japan in 2010. So far, six countries, including three mega-diverse countries — Brazil, Mexico and Colombia — have signed the protocol.
With India being president of COP 11, being held in Hyderabad, it was expected that India will be one of the earliest parties to ratify the ABS. But while finance minister P. Chidambaram lauded India in the richness of its traditional systems of medicine, and traditional knowledge base, experts had wanted the government to exercise greater caution.
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Wildlife Act made more stringent
age correspondent
new delhi, oct. 4
In a bid to curb poaching, the government has made the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 more stringent.
Greater power has been given to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to put a lid on illegal trading. Imprisonment terms have been increased and fines have been hiked up to `50 lakhs. An attempt has also been made to make gramsabhas and grampanchayats play a more proactive role.