National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) of India released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the notification of threatened species

National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) of India released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the notification of threatened species

¨     National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) of India released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the notification of threatened species on 26 June 2026.

¨     The SOP has been issued under Section 38 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and applies to all States and Union Territories in India.

¨     The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 aims to conserve biological diversity, ensure the sustainable use of its components, and promote the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biological resources.

¨     Section 38 of the Act empowers the Central Government to notify threatened species for their protection and conservation.

¨     The SOP lays down a step-by-step process for scientific assessment, stakeholder consultations, validation, notification, conservation planning, monitoring, and periodic review.

¨     States and Union Territories must rely on scientific evidence, field-based assessments, and traditional knowledge before recommending a species for notification.

¨     The framework involves local communities, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), academic institutions, and subject experts.

¨     Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) are local-level statutory bodies established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 to support biodiversity conservation and management.