Rajya Sabha passes Biological Diversity Bill 2023

The Bill amends the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 to simplify compliance requirements for domestic companies

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Biological Diversity (Amendment )Bill 2023 to amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Labour and Employment Bhupendra Yadav moved the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha for its consideration and passage to amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The Bill was earlier passed by Lok Sabha.

---

The Bill amends the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 to simplify compliance requirements for domestic companies. Users of codified traditional knowledge and AYUSH practitioners will be exempted from sharing benefits with local communities.

The bill seeks to promote research on medicinal plants, encourage the production of plant-based medicines and benefit the local persons involved in use of forest produce.

The Bill removes research and bio-survey activities from the purview of benefit-sharing requirements. Benefit sharing will be based on terms agreed between the user and the local management committee represented by the National Authority. The Bill decriminalizes all offences under the Act.

Earlier, in the day, the Rajya Sabha passed The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to amend the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.

The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was moved in the Rajya Sabha for its consideration and passage to amend the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002. The Lok Sabha earlier passed the Bill.

The Bill will improve governance, reform the electoral process, strengthen the monitoring mechanism, improve the Board’s composition, and enhance transparency and accountability in Multi-State Cooperative Societies.

The Bill allows state co-operative societies to merge into an existing multi-state co-operative society.

The Bill establishes the Co-operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund for the revival of sick multi-state co-operative societies. As per the Bill, the central government will appoint one or more Co-operative Ombudsman with territorial jurisdiction.