Consider the following statements : 1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realization of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol. 2. The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Option (C) is correct because the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, establishes BMCs at the local level to implement the Nagoya Protocol’s objectives, specifically empowering them under Section 41 to levy collection fees for accessing biological resources for commercial purposes. Option (a) is the most tempting wrong choice as aspirants often underestimate the statutory financial powers granted to local-level bodies, assuming such authority rests solely with National or State-level Boards. The core concept tested is the decentralized governance and financial mechanisms of India’s **Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)** regime under the **Biological Diversity Act**.