NBA releases SOP for States and UTs to identify and notify threatened species under Section 38
The National Biodiversity Authority announced on 26 June 2026 that it has released a Standard Operating Procedure for notification of threatened species under Section 38 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Summary
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) announced on 26 June 2026 that it has released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the identification, assessment and notification of threatened species by States and Union Territories under Section 38 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Section 38 empowers the Central Government, in consultation with the State Government concerned, to notify a species on the verge of extinction as a threatened species and to regulate or prohibit its collection; these powers may be delegated to the States. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has so far notified 159 plant species and 173 animal species as threatened, pertaining to 17 States and 3 Union Territories. The SOP is meant to help State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, with roles for Biodiversity Management Committees, the Botanical Survey of India and the Zoological Survey of India.
Key facts
- Released by
- National Biodiversity Authority (announced 26 June 2026)
- Law
- Section 38, Biological Diversity Act, 2002
- Who notifies
- Central Government, in consultation with the State (power can be delegated to States)
- Notified so far
- 159 plant and 173 animal species; 17 States and 3 UTs
- Users
- State Biodiversity Boards and UT Biodiversity Councils
Practice MCQs 3 questions
The SOP announced by the National Biodiversity Authority on 26 June 2026 relates to notification of threatened species under which section of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002?
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Correct answer: C — Section 38
The SOP is for notification of threatened species under Section 38 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
According to the Environment Ministry (June 2026), how many species have been notified as threatened so far under the Biological Diversity Act?
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Correct answer: A — 159 plant and 173 animal species
MoEFCC has notified 159 plant species and 173 animal species as threatened species, pertaining to 17 States and 3 UTs.
Consider the following statements about Section 38 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002: 1. Section 38 empowers only the State Government to notify a species as threatened, without any role for the Centre. 2. The NBA's June 2026 SOP is meant to assist State Biodiversity Boards and UT Biodiversity Councils in identifying threatened species. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Statement 1 is wrong: Section 38 empowers the Central Government, in consultation with the State Government, to notify threatened species (the power may be delegated to States). Statement 2 is correct.