National Advisory Board Charts New Roadmap for India's Genetic Resources

Opening the meeting, Dr Paroda described India's rich diversity of plant, animal, fish, microbial and insect genetic resources as a national asset that underpins long-term food and nutritional security.

India has taken a fresh step towards safeguarding its agricultural future with the first meeting of the newly reconstituted National Advisory Board on Management of Genetic Resources (NABMGR), held at the ICAR–National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) in New Delhi.

The Board has been reconstituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to provide strategic guidance on the conservation, sustainable use and management of the country's genetic resources. It brings together experts from government, research institutions, industry and farming communities to shape policies that support food security, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.

The Board is chaired by Dr R.S. Paroda, former Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and former Director General of ICAR, with Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary of DARE and Director General of ICAR, serving as co-chair.

Focus on stronger conservation and climate-resilient agriculture

Opening the meeting, Dr Paroda described India's rich diversity of plant, animal, fish, microbial and insect genetic resources as a national asset that underpins long-term food and nutritional security. He called for greater use of conserved germplasm, including wild relatives of crops and livestock, in breeding programmes to develop climate-resilient, high-yielding and sustainable varieties. He also urged a review of the recommendations made in the Delhi Declaration on Agrobiodiversity, adopted during the first International Agrobiodiversity Congress in 2016, and proposed a roadmap to accelerate their implementation.

Dr Paroda stressed the importance of strengthening international collaboration, particularly with countries in Central Asia and South-East Asia, to facilitate the exchange of valuable genetic resources for crops such as cotton, rambutan, avocado and mangosteen, as well as livestock species including sheep. He also advocated a legal framework to protect the rights of breeders and farmers for animal and fish genetic resources, similar to the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act (PPV&FRA).

Experts outline priorities for the next five years

Dr M.L. Jat highlighted the need to integrate genetic resource management with advances in soil science, digital agriculture and crop improvement. He said identifying crop varieties best suited to different soil types and agro-climatic conditions would help develop more resilient and productive farming systems.

Directors of the six ICAR National Bureaux presented their achievements between 2021 and 2026 and outlined plans for 2026–2031, focusing on national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Board recommended expanding pre-breeding programmes, increasing germplasm collection from unexplored regions and strengthening collaboration among ICAR institutions to create an integrated national framework for genetic resource management.

National Safety Genebank among key priorities

Members also discussed measures to strengthen implementation of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) provisions under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, while recommending an inter-institutional programme to promote traditional and underutilised crop varieties, livestock breeds, fish species, microorganisms and insects.

The Board reviewed progress on the National Safety Genebank (NSG) and suggested completing the facility in time for ICAR's centenary celebrations in 2028–29.

The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthening India's agrobiodiversity through scientific collaboration, coordinated policymaking and sustainable management of genetic resources, supporting the country's long-term goals of agricultural resilience, food security and Viksit Bharat.