The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2021, a week after it was cleared in the Lok Sabha. The Bill aims to amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and was drafted in response to complaints by traditional Indian medicine practitioners, the seed sector, industry and researchers that the Act imposed a heavy “compliance burden” and made it hard to conduct collaborative research and investments and simplify patent application processes.
The text of the Bill also said that it proposes to “widen the scope of levying access and benefit sharing with local communities and for further conservation of biological resources.” The Bill also proposes to decriminalising offences under the Act and substituting them with penalties (between ₹1 lakh and ₹50 lakh and continuing violations can attract an additional penalty of up to ₹1 crore) and no imprisonment.
