The Lok Sabha on July 25 passed the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 amidst sloganeering by Opposition Members demanding that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi make a statement on the Manipur violence.
The Bill aims to amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. “In the 20 years since the Act was in brought into force by the Vajpayee government, we have seen that there were problems and it was necessary to address them,” said Bhupendra Yadav, Minister for Environment and Forests and Climate Change in the Lok Sabha. “To ensure that tribes and vulnerable communities benefit from the proceeds of medicinal forest products, these amendments were necessary. By decriminalising certain activities, we are encouraging Ayurveda as well as ease of doing business.”
