The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has introduced a new short-term internship programme aimed at nurturing young talent in biodiversity conservation and natural resources management. Designed for students currently pursuing graduation or post-graduation, the initiative seeks to provide hands-on experience through direct participation in ongoing NBA projects.
This move comes at a time when environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation are gaining increasing global importance. By engaging students early, the NBA aims to create a skilled and environmentally conscious workforce prepared to tackle future ecological challenges.
The newly launched programme offers internships of up to three months, focusing on project-based learning.
This initiative aligns with India’s broader sustainability goals and growing demand for skilled professionals in environmental management.
In addition to the short-term programme, the NBA also runs the Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme (BSIP), which has a longer duration and deeper engagement.
The ongoing sixth cycle of BSIP has selected 24 interns, who have been deployed across:
Interns under BSIP gain extensive field experience through:
This hands-on approach ensures that students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
Interns are selected through a competitive all-India process and deployed across various states and union territories.
The first BSIP cycle (2019–20) was inaugurated during the International Day for Biological Diversity 2020 on 22nd May 2020 by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Since then, the programme has grown steadily, contributing to the development of skilled professionals in environmental sectors.
The NBA currently invests approximately Rs. One Crore in supporting these internship programmes.
This investment reflects the government’s commitment to environmental protection and youth empowerment.
With increasing climate change challenges, biodiversity loss, and ecological imbalance, there is a growing need for skilled professionals in environmental sectors.
The NBA’s internship programmes directly address these needs by preparing young professionals for future roles.
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is India’s statutory guardian of its biological wealth. Established in 2003 and headquartered in Chennai, it is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
As of March 2026, the NBA is operating under a modernized legislative framework following significant amendments and is currently led by its Chairperson, Shri Virendra Tiwari (IFS, Retd.), who assumed office in late 2025.
The NBA was created to implement the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, ensuring India meets its obligations under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Its mandate revolves around three pillars:
Conservation: Protecting biological diversity across the country.
Sustainable Use: Managing resources so they remain available for future generations.
Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing (ABS): Ensuring that when India’s biological resources (like medicinal plants) or traditional knowledge are used commercially, the local communities who preserved them receive a fair share of the profits.
India uses a decentralized model to manage its biodiversity:
National (NBA): Focuses on policy, advising the Central Government, and approving access to bio-resources for foreign entities.
State (State Biodiversity Boards - SBBs): Regulate access for Indian citizens/entities and advise state governments.
Local (Biodiversity Management Committees - BMCs): Established at the village/municipality level. As of March 2026, over 2.76 lakh BMCs are active, maintaining "People’s Biodiversity Registers" (PBRs) to document local flora, fauna, and traditional knowledge.
The NBA has recently undergone a major transformation to balance conservation with the ease of doing business:
Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023: This landmark legislation decriminalized many offenses (shifting to financial penalties) and exempted "codified traditional knowledge" and cultivated medicinal plants from certain ABS requirements to support the AYUSH industry.
ABS Regulations 2025: Notified in April 2025, these rules introduced a turnover-linked benefit-sharing model (0.2% to 0.6%) and integrated Digital Sequence Information (DSI) into the regulatory fold, keeping pace with modern biotechnology.
Global Leadership: In its First National Report on the Nagoya Protocol (submitted February 27, 2026), India was recognized as a global leader, accounting for over 60% of all Internationally Recognised Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs) issued worldwide.
Invasive Species Task Force: On March 21, 2026, the NBA constituted an Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species to identify and manage high-risk species that threaten India’s native ecosystems and food security.
Digital Transformation: A new digital portal was launched in February 2026 to issue electronic Certificates of Origin for cultivated medicinal plants, simplifying the process for researchers and the pharmaceutical sector.
The launch of the short-term internship programme by the National Biodiversity Authority marks a significant step toward empowering students and strengthening India’s environmental workforce. By combining practical learning with real-world exposure, the initiative not only enhances employability but also fosters a sense of responsibility toward nature.
Programmes like BSIP further deepen this impact by offering long-term engagement and skill development opportunities. As environmental challenges continue to rise, such initiatives play a crucial role in building a generation of informed and capable biodiversity ambassadors.