Context: Recently, the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under the Ministry of AYUSH and the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The purpose of this MoU is to conserve the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Genetic Resources (MAPGRs) in the National Gene Bank (NGB).
Key Points

• It was establishment by the National Gene Bank was notified in 1996-97.
• It was hosted by National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi.
• Its purpose is to conserve the Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) for future generations in the form of seeds, genomic resources, pollen etc.

Functioning:

• The NGB has four kinds of facilities, namely, Seed Genebank (- 18°C), Cryogenebank (-170°C to -196°C), In vitro Genebank (25°C), and Field Genebank, to cater to long-term as well as medium-term conservation.
• It stores different crop groups such as cereals, millets, medicinal and aromatic plants and narcotics, etc.

Other Facilities

• The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway houses the world’s largest collection of seeds.
• India’s seed vault is at Chang La (Ladakh) in the Himalayas.
• National Animal Gene Bank, established at the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR - Karnal, Haryana), has the objective of conserving the indigenous livestock biodiversity.
• NBAGR is one of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes.

About National Medicinal Plants Board

• In order to promote the medicinal plants sector, the Government of India set up the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) on 24th November 2000.
• Currently the board is working under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy).
• The primary mandate of NMPB is to develop an appropriate mechanism for coordination between various ministries/ departments/ organizations and implementation of support policies/programs for overall (conservation, cultivation, trade and export) growth of medicinal plants sector both at the Central /State and International level.

About National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources

• The ‘National Bureau of Plant Introduction’ was renamed as ‘National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources’ (NBPGR) in January 1977.
• It is one of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institutes.
• ICAR is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
• It is a nodal organisation in India for management of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR).
• It has played a pivotal role in the improvement of various crop plants and diversification and development of agriculture in India through germplasm introduction from various institutes/organizations located in foreign countries and germplasm collection from within the country and abroad and conservation thereof.
• Germplasm is a live information source for all the genes present in the respective plant, which can be conserved for long periods and regenerated whenever it is required in the future.
• The NBPGR has linkage with National Active Germplasm Sites (NAGS) for the management of active germplasm of field and horticultural crops.
• NAGS are located at NBPGR regional stations, other crop-based ICAR institutes or State Agricultural Universities.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi and has 10 regional stations.