MoTA Signs MoU with CSIR-NBRI for Conservation of RET Medicinal Plant Species

MoTA Signs MoU with CSIR-NBRI for Conservation of RET Medicinal Plant Species

• Who: Ministry of Tribal Affairs + CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, UP for 3 years.
• Signed by: Manish Thakur [Addl Secretary MoTA] and Ajit Kumar Shasany [Director CSIR-NBRI].
• Objective: Conserve Rare, Endangered, Threatened [RET] medicinal plant species and promote sustainable utilization of tribal medicinal resources. Promote R&D focused on conservation and ethnobotanical assessment of tribal bioresources across India.
• Focus: Conservation of RET species. All field assessments require Prior Informed Consent [PIC] from Gram Sabhas and tribal communities, compliance with Biological Diversity Act 2002.
• Joint Projects: Dedicated funding for community development and capacity building.
• Benefit Sharing: IP and project benefits shared equitably with tribal communities. Financial gains channelled through National/State Biodiversity Funds and MoTA welfare schemes.
• Integration: Traditional tribal knowledge + modern botanical science through collaborative research, knowledge exchange, capacity building.
• UPSC Relevance: GS2 - Tribal Welfare, GS3 - Biodiversity, Conservation, Biological Diversity Act, Traditional Knowledge, Benefit Sharing.