- Why in news
- On 31 March 2026, the Environment Ministry said India leads the world in issuing Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs) under the Nagoya Protocol, with 3,561 of 6,311 certificates.
- What it is
- The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing is a treaty under the Convention on Biological Diversity. It sets rules for access to genetic resources and for fair sharing of benefits from their use. It was adopted in 2010 at Nagoya, Japan, and came into force in 2014. India implements it through the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- What an IRCC proves
- An IRCC is evidence that Prior Informed Consent was obtained and Mutually Agreed Terms were set between user and provider.
- Indian institutions
- The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 works through the National Biodiversity Authority, State Biodiversity Boards and Biodiversity Management Committees.
- Legal basis
- The Nagoya Protocol is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted in 2010 and in force since 2014.
Don’t confuse with Nagoya Protocol vs Cartagena Protocol: Nagoya concerns access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources. Cartagena concerns biosafety in handling living modified organisms.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- Shows India's ABS system works and supports fair benefit-sharing with providers of resources and traditional knowledge.
- Strengthens India's role in global biodiversity governance.
Problems
- Few countries issue IRCCs, so global tracking of resource use is weak.
- Compliance burden may slow research and industry access.
Way forward
- Build capacity in other countries to issue IRCCs and use the Clearing-House.
- Keep procedures simple while ensuring benefits reach local communities through Biodiversity Management Committees.
Put in your answer
Three-tier institutions: NBA at the centre, State Biodiversity Boards at state level and Biodiversity Management Committees at local level run ABS in India.
- 2023Prelims Q79Biodiversity Management Committees' role in Nagoya Protocol access and benefit-sharing fees
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q17Biodiversity variation in India and how Biological Diversity Act helps conservation
- 2026Mains GS3 · Q8Kunming-Montreal framework aims, and India's commitments and initiatives toward them
- 2019Mains GS3 · Q15How government protects traditional medicine knowledge from pharmaceutical patenting
- 2012Prelims Q3How National Biodiversity Authority protects genetic resources and checks biopiracy
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Nagoya Protocol is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
- 2.An Internationally Recognized Certificate of Compliance (IRCC) serves as evidence that Prior Informed Consent was obtained and Mutually Agreed Terms were set between users and providers of genetic resources.
- 3.In India, the Nagoya Protocol is implemented mainly through the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The Nagoya Protocol is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
True. It supplements the CBD and deals with access and benefit-sharing.
2.Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance are uploaded to the ABS Clearing-House.
True. IRCC details are uploaded to the ABS Clearing-House.
3.An IRCC serves as evidence of Prior Informed Consent and Mutually Agreed Terms between users and providers.
True. IRCCs evidence PIC and MAT.
4.India has issued fewer than half of all IRCCs issued worldwide.
False. India has issued 3,561 of 6,311, over 56 per cent.
5.France has issued the second-highest number of IRCCs, after India.
True. France follows India with 964 certificates.
6.Most countries registered on the ABS Clearing-House have issued at least one IRCC.
False. Only 34 of 142 registered countries have issued IRCCs.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Source: PIB, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change., 31 Mar, 08:53 IST · Release 287170
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.