law: The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  2. Definitions.-
  In this Act, unless
  
  the context otherwise requires,-
  a.  
  
    "benefit
  
  claimers" means the conservers of biological resources, their by-products,
  
  creators and holders of knowledge and information relating to the use of such
  
  biological resources, innovations and practices associated with such use and
  
  application ;
  b.  
  
    "biological
  
  diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources
  
  and the ecological complexes of which they are part and includes diversity
  
  within species or between species and of eco-systems;
  c.  
  
    "biological
  
  resources" means plants, animals and micro-organisms or parts thereof,
  
  their genetic material and by-products (excluding value added products) with
  
  actual or potential use or value, but does not include human genetic material;
  d.  
  
    "bio-survey
  
  and bio-utilisation" means survey or collection of species, sub-species,
  
  genes, components and extracts of biological resource for any purpose and
  
  includes characterisation, inventorisation and bioassay;
  e.  
  
    "Chairperson"
  
  
  
  means the Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority or, as the case
  
  may be, of the State Biodiversity Board;
  f.  
  
    "commercial
  
  utilization" means end uses of biological resources for commercial
  
  utilization such as drugs, industrial enzymes, food flavours, fragrance,
  
  cosmetics, emulsifiers, oleoresins, colours, extracts and genes used for
  
  improving crops and live tock through genetic intervention, but does not
  
  include conventional breeding or traditional practices in use in any
  
  agriculture, horticulture, poultry, dairy farming, animal husbandry or bee
  
  keeping;
  g.  
  
    "fair
  
  and equitable benefit sharing" means sharing of benefits as determined by
  
  the National Biodiversity Authority under section 21;
  h.  
  
    "local
  
  bodies" means Panchayats and Municipalities, by whatever name called,
  
  within the meaning of clause (1) of article 243B and clause (1) of article 243Q
  
  of the Constitution and in the absence of any Panchayats or Municipalities,
  
  institutions of s lf-government constituted under any other provision of the
  
  Constitution or any Central Act or State Act;
  i.  
  
    "member"
  
  means a member of the National Biodiversity Authority or a State Biodiversity
  
  Board and includes the Chairperson;
  j.  
  
    "National
  
  Biodiversity Authority" means the National Biodiversity Authority
  
  established under section 8;
  k.  
  
    "prescribed"
  
  means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
  l.  
  
    "regulations"
  
  means regulations made under this Act;
  m.  
  
  
  
    "research"
  
  means study or systematic investigation of any biological resource or
  
  technological application, that uses biological systems, living organisms or
  
  derivatives thereof to make or modify products or processes for any use;
  n.  
  
    "State
  
  Biodiversity Board" means the State Biodiversity Board established under
  
  section 22;
  o.  
  
    "sustainable
  
  use" means the use of components of biological diversity in such manner
  
  and at such rate that does not lead to the long-term decline of the biological
  
  diversity thereby maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations
  
  of present and future generations;
  p.  
  
    "value
  
  added products" means products which may contain portions or extracts of
  
  plants and animals in unrecognizable and physically inseparable form.