Biosphere Reserves and Conservation Initiatives in India
PIB Backgrounder · Environment · Posted 02 NOV 2026 6:50PM
What happened
Marking the International Day for Biosphere Reserves, the PIB backgrounder highlights India's 18 notified biosphere reserves and the 'Biodiversity Conservation' centrally sponsored sub-scheme administered by the MoEFCC to support their management.
Why it matters for UPSC
This backgrounder is crucial for UPSC aspirants as it details India's network of biosphere reserves, their zonation model, and financing mechanisms under environment and ecology syllabus topics.
Key objectives
- India has 18 notified Biosphere Reserves, with 13 recognized by UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
- The 'Biodiversity Conservation' sub-scheme provides grants-in-aid on a 60:40 cost-sharing basis for general states and 90:10 for North Eastern and Himalayan states.
- Five-year Integrated Management Plans have been piloted since 2022-23 for Nanda Devi, Pachmarhi, Dehang-Dibang, and Agasthyamalai.