Webinar recording: Industry's inputs on Biological Diversity [Amendment] Bill, 2021

The webinar "Biotech Industry inputs on recent amendments to the Biological Diversity Amendment Bill 2021" was held on 21st January, 2022.

Members participated very actively in presenting their various suggestions during the webinar. Dr B Meenakumari, ex-head of National Biodiversity Authority, highlighted the several steps taken during her tenure to cushion the impact of some of harsh provisions that affected the biotech industry. Mr Shrikumar Suryanarayan, ex-president of ABLE and a member of a technical committee that studied some of the provisions of the original Act, voiced concerns over some issues that may continue to symie innovation in the biotech industry to make best use of our vast biological resources for greater good of the humanity.

ABLE compiled all the suggestions from the members and has presented a detailed memorandum seeking further changes, explanations to some of the provisions of the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2001, to the Joint Parliamentary Committee chaired by Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, MP, before the deadline on January 31, 2022. The Parliamentary Committee is now gathering further detailed inputs from State Biodiversity Boards before
making its final recommendations to Parliament for approval.