Ecosystem and Biodiversity — Environmental Laws

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
42nd Constitutional Amendment Act	1976	Inserted Article 48A (Directive Principle of State Policy) and Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duty) into the Constitution of India.	Provided a constitutional mandate for environmental protection and conservation, obligating both the state and citizens to safeguard the natural environment, including forests and wildlife. This laid the groundwork for subsequent environmental legislation.
Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill	2023	Passed by Parliament, this Bill amended the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Key changes include decriminalizing certain offenses, encouraging traditional Indian medicine (AYUSH) practitioners, facilitating research, and streamlining the access and benefit-sharing (ABS) process for certain categories.	Aims to reduce compliance burden, promote research and commercial utilization of biological resources, especially in the AYUSH sector, and attract foreign investment. However, it also raised concerns among environmentalists about potential dilution of ABS provisions and reduced oversight by Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) for certain activities, potentially impacting local communities' rights and conservation efforts.

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