Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge Questions and Answers

Q: Bio-diversity of a Geographical region represents :

Biodiversity represents the diversity in the organisms living in the region.Biodiversity is the variety of all living organisms in a region, from genes to species to ecosystems. Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity defines it as the variability among living organisms from all sources, including diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.Endangered species, species endemic to the region (printed 'epidemic') and genetic diversity within the dominant species are each only one part of biodiversity, not the whole.

Q: It has been observed that India has been traditionally one of the soft target of biopiracy. Which among the following is the reason for it ?

India is a soft target of biopiracy because it has a large amount of biodiversity.India is one of the world's megadiverse countries, with several biodiversity hotspots and a vast body of traditional knowledge on the use of plants, as in Ayurveda. This richness of biological resources and associated knowledge attracts attempts to patent them abroad, as in the neem, turmeric and basmati cases.India's colonial past and the working of the National Biodiversity Authority are not the reason; the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Authority were set up precisely to regulate access. The government's approach is regulatory, not one that makes it easy to carry material away.

Q: Which one of the following is not the case of Biopiracy ?

The one that is not a biopiracy case is Ginger Cough (EPO Patent No. 539295).The other three are well-known biopiracy disputes over Indian traditional knowledge and resources:Turmeric: US Patent 5,401,504 for its wound-healing use was revoked in 1997 after India's CSIR showed prior traditional use.Neem: European Patent 436257 for a neem-oil fungicide was revoked by the EPO in 2000 and the revocation upheld in 2005.Basmati: RiceTec's US Patent 5,663,484 on rice lines and grains was challenged by India, and most of its claims were withdrawn in 2001.No such ginger cough patent is among the recognised biopiracy cases.

Q: Which one of the following institutions is not having the part of collaborative project on Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) http://www.tkdt.res.in/

The institution not part of TKDL is the Ministry of Human Resource Development.The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (the stem prints its web address as tkdt.res.in) is a collaborative project of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Department of AYUSH, now the Ministry of AYUSH. CSIR functions under the Ministry of Science and Technology. TKDL translates traditional medicine texts into patent-office formats to stop wrongful patents, as in the turmeric and neem cases.The Ministry of Human Resource Development, which handled education, had no part in the project.

Q: 'The National Biodiversity Authority' is ................. .(i) established by the Central Government(ii) to regulate, transfer and use of biodiversity resources at the national level(iii) having its head office located at Mumbai(iv) the Chairperson of the Authority shall be the retired Judge of High Court

The answer is only (i) and (ii) are correct.The National Biodiversity Authority is established by the Central Government under section 8 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (i), and it regulates access to and transfer and use of biological resources and associated knowledge at the national level (ii).Statement (iii) is wrong because its head office is at Chennai, not Mumbai. Statement (iv) is wrong because the Chairperson is to be an eminent person with knowledge of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, not necessarily a retired High Court judge.

Q: According to Section 8 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which of the following authority is established by the Central Government to regulate, transfer, and use of biodiversity resources at the national level ?

The authority is the National Biodiversity Authority.Section 8 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 requires the Central Government to establish the National Biodiversity Authority, headquartered at Chennai. It regulates access to biological resources and associated knowledge, approves transfers of research results and applications for intellectual property based on them, and advises the government.State Biodiversity Boards operate at the state level, and there is no 'Central Biodiversity Commission' or 'Union Biodiversity Board' under the Act. The National Bio-Gas Board is unrelated.

Bio-diversity of a Geographical region represents :

A.The diversity in the organism living in the region
B.Endanger species found in the region
C.Species epidemic to the region
D.Genetic diversity present in the dominant species of the region.

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2019, SET Exam - 2019,

Answer: A

Biodiversity represents the diversity in the organisms living in the region.

Biodiversity is the variety of all living organisms in a region, from genes to species to ecosystems. Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity defines it as the variability among living organisms from all sources, including diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

Endangered species, species endemic to the region (printed 'epidemic') and genetic diversity within the dominant species are each only one part of biodiversity, not the whole.

Discuss in Forum

It has been observed that India has been traditionally one of the soft target of biopiracy. Which among the following is the reason for it ?

A.Because India was the colony under British Government and therefore open to Bio-piracy for European Nation
B.Because India has large amount of Biodiversity
C.Because Government of India has Liberal approach for its resources and therefore it is easy to carry away the Bio-diversified material
D.Because National Bio-diversity authority is not effectively established in India to control the Bio-piracy

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2020, SET Exam - 2020,

Answer: B

India is a soft target of biopiracy because it has a large amount of biodiversity.

India is one of the world's megadiverse countries, with several biodiversity hotspots and a vast body of traditional knowledge on the use of plants, as in Ayurveda. This richness of biological resources and associated knowledge attracts attempts to patent them abroad, as in the neem, turmeric and basmati cases.

India's colonial past and the working of the National Biodiversity Authority are not the reason; the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Authority were set up precisely to regulate access. The government's approach is regulatory, not one that makes it easy to carry material away.

Discuss in Forum

Which one of the following is not the case of Biopiracy ?

A.Turmeric (US Patent No. 5401504)
B.Neem (EPO Patent No. 436257)
C.Basmati Rice (US Patent No. 5663484)
D.Ginger Cough (EPO Patent No. 539295)

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2021, SET Exam - 2021,

Answer: D

The one that is not a biopiracy case is Ginger Cough (EPO Patent No. 539295).

The other three are well-known biopiracy disputes over Indian traditional knowledge and resources:

Turmeric: US Patent 5,401,504 for its wound-healing use was revoked in 1997 after India's CSIR showed prior traditional use.
Neem: European Patent 436257 for a neem-oil fungicide was revoked by the EPO in 2000 and the revocation upheld in 2005.
Basmati: RiceTec's US Patent 5,663,484 on rice lines and grains was challenged by India, and most of its claims were withdrawn in 2001.

No such ginger cough patent is among the recognised biopiracy cases.

Discuss in Forum

Which one of the following institutions is not having the part of collaborative project on Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) http://www.tkdt.res.in/

A.Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
B.Ministry of Science and Technology
C.Department of AYUSH
D.Ministry of Human Resource Development

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2023, SET Exam - 2023,

Answer: D

The institution not part of TKDL is the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (the stem prints its web address as tkdt.res.in) is a collaborative project of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Department of AYUSH, now the Ministry of AYUSH. CSIR functions under the Ministry of Science and Technology. TKDL translates traditional medicine texts into patent-office formats to stop wrongful patents, as in the turmeric and neem cases.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development, which handled education, had no part in the project.

Discuss in Forum

'The National Biodiversity Authority' is ................. .

(i) established by the Central Government
(ii) to regulate, transfer and use of biodiversity resources at the national level
(iii) having its head office located at Mumbai
(iv) the Chairperson of the Authority shall be the retired Judge of High Court

A.Only (i), (ii) and (iii) are correct
B.Only (i) and (ii) are correct
C.All (i), (ii) (iii) and (iv) are correct
D.Only (iv) is correct

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2024, SET Exam - 2024,

Answer: B

The answer is only (i) and (ii) are correct.

The National Biodiversity Authority is established by the Central Government under section 8 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (i), and it regulates access to and transfer and use of biological resources and associated knowledge at the national level (ii).

Statement (iii) is wrong because its head office is at Chennai, not Mumbai. Statement (iv) is wrong because the Chairperson is to be an eminent person with knowledge of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, not necessarily a retired High Court judge.

Discuss in Forum

According to Section 8 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which of the following authority is established by the Central Government to regulate, transfer, and use of biodiversity resources at the national level ?

A.The Central Biodiversity Commission
B.The Union Biodiversity Board
C.The National Biodiversity Authority
D.The National Bio-Gas Board

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2025, SET Exam - 2025,

Answer: C

The authority is the National Biodiversity Authority.

Section 8 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 requires the Central Government to establish the National Biodiversity Authority, headquartered at Chennai. It regulates access to biological resources and associated knowledge, approves transfers of research results and applications for intellectual property based on them, and advises the government.

State Biodiversity Boards operate at the state level, and there is no 'Central Biodiversity Commission' or 'Union Biodiversity Board' under the Act. The National Bio-Gas Board is unrelated.

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