India Biodiversity Award 2021 – Free PDF Download

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As part of the India Biodiversity Awards 2021, West Champaran-based Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) received a certificate of appreciation in the ‘Conservation of Wild Species’ category on the occasion of World Rhino Day.

Valmiki Tiger Reserve

It is located at theIndia-Nepal border in the West Champaran district of Bihar.
Itforms the easternmost limits of the Himalayan Terai forests in India.
It is situated in the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zoneof the country, the forest has a combination of bhabar and terai tracts.

This was established in March 1994 under Project Tiger.
Indian flying foxes can be sighted here.
Tharu’, a scheduled tribe, is the dominant community in the landscape of the Valmiki National Park.
The India biodiversity awards is a joint initiative of the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, national biodiversity authority and the united nations development programme.
The award carries ₹2 lakh cash prize and citation.
The first India Biodiversity Awards were jointly announced by the MoEFCC and UNDP in 2012 at the high level segment of the Eleventh meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
This year, 2021, the theme is “We’re part of the solution”. From nature-based solutions to climate, health issues, food and water security, and sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity is the foundation upon which we can build back better.
The International Day for Biological Diversity is observed on 22nd May every year to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.

Krishi Avam Paristhitiki Vikas Sansthan (KRAPAVIS) won this award under in the institution category ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources.’
KRAPAVIS won the award for its support to communities in restoring water harvesting structures, recharge wells & water tables and it also planted half a million trees of local varieties in Orans.
Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) in Nagaland won the award under the ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources’ category. KNCTS was established on December 11, 1998.
Sanctuary was awarded as it helps in maintaining biodiversity in the Khonoma area which is inhabited by several endemic plants and animals.

Ramanathapuram forest range officer S Sathish won the ‘Sustainable use of Biological Resources’ category(individual) for his remarkable work in ‘Kaarankadu Community based Eco tourism located 35 kms from the Ramanathapuram district headquarters.
He has worked for over five years to mitigate poaching, saving the Olive Ridley Turtle, carrying out underwater plastic waste clean ups, and more to protect the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park in Tamil Nadu.

The Shergaon BMC was established on March 15, 2016, under the technical guidance of the Arunachal Pradesh Biodiversity Board.
Since then, the BMC has been working on different conservation activities and plantation programmes in and around Shergaon.
In 2009, this committee prepared the Peoples Biodiversity Register (PBR) and documented 153 flora and 122 faunas available in Shergaon.
Shergaon BMC chairman Pem Norbu Thungon dedicated the award to the ancestors and all the villagers of Shergaon for preserving the forest.

Shaji .N.M. is also called as ‘Tuber Man’ of Kerala has been awarded the India Biodiversity Award 2021 in the individual category of ‘Conservation of domesticated species’.
He conserves a wide array of around 200 tuber crops including greater yam, lesser yam, elephant foot yam, arrow root, colocasia, sweet potato, cassava and Chinese potato in his farm has received State awards seven times for his efforts.
He has also received the Plant Genome Savior Reward 2015, instituted by PPV&FR Authority, New Delhi.

Forest officer Shiv Kumar won the India Biodiversity Award 2021 under the conservation of wild species (individual) [snow leopard] category in Lahaul & Spiti.
He has been posted as forest guard in the foresh division Lahaul for the last 11 years.
He has captured about 15 anow leopards in Lahaul valley with his cameras.

Other winners are as follows:

Conservation of Domesticated Species (Institute): Amrabad Poda Lakmi Govu Sangam, Telangana
Conservation of Wild Species (Institute): Chongnga Foundation, Manipur
Replicable Mechanisms for Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS): Twichin Gram Bari BMC, Tripura and Valagro Bioscience Ltd, Telangana

Question- Consider the following statements:

The resolution to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity was adopted in 1992 and the day was initially celebrated on December 29 till 2000.
The India Biodiversity Awards are given by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, National Biodiversity Authority and the United Nations Development Programme.

Which of the statement is/are correct?