Explain the following: (i) National Bureau of Plant Generic Resources (NBPGR) (ii) Wild-life sanctuaries.

NBPGR’s Mandate

As an ICAR institute housing the National Genebank, NBPGR collects, conserves and documents plant genetic resources and is the nodal agency for germplasm exchange and quarantine, while access approvals under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 rest with the National Biodiversity Authority.

Collaboration for Conservation

It works with State Biodiversity Boards and Biodiversity Management Committees2 to promote in situ and ex situ conservation across agro-ecological zones, enabling decentralized protection of region-specific genetic resources.

Legal Setup and Purpose

Sanctuaries, notified by states under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, protect wildlife habitats while permitting limited human use such as regulated grazing, differing from national parks in management flexibility.

Ecological Importance and Challenges

Sanctuaries safeguard rare species, such as Jerdon’s courser in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Lankamalleswara sanctuary, but face threats from poaching, habitat fragmentation, and human-wildlife conflict, requiring community engagement and integration with projects like Project Tiger3 and Project Elephant for landscape-level conservation.

Conservation Outcomes

Sanctuaries have aided species recovery and habitat preservation; however, NBPGR’s ex situ efforts face gene pool stagnation risks, underscoring the need for dynamic conservation strategies that combine in situ and ex situ approaches.

Future Directions

Strengthening in situ conservation, capacity building, GIS-based monitoring, and public participation are essential for effective biodiversity governance aligned with India’s NBSAP 20244-30, promoting sustainable use and equitable benefit sharing.