**Executive Summary**
On June 19, 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Natural History Museum (NHM) at Mizoram University as India’s 21st Designated Repository under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. This designation strengthens the scientific infrastructure for biodiversity conservation within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. The NHM is tasked with preserving authenticated biological specimens to facilitate species identification, research, and long-term ecological restoration.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Legal and Institutional Status**
* **Official Designation:** The NHM was designated under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, following recommendations from the National Biodiversity Authority.
* **National Network:** With this notification, the NHM becomes the 21st repository in India’s biodiversity governance framework, complementing existing institutions like the Botanical and Zoological Surveys of India.
* **Institutional Aegis:** Established in 2022, the NHM operates under Mizoram University, a Central University with specialized taxonomic expertise.
**Scope of Collections and Preservation**
* **Targeted Taxa:** The museum maintains voucher specimens of flora (pteridophytes, macrofungi) and fauna (reptiles, amphibians, fishes, moths, beetles, and butterflies).
* **Type Specimens:** It serves as the official depository for type specimens of newly discovered species from the North-eastern region.
* **Endemic Species:** The repository focuses on documentation and conservation of regional endemic species, including the recently discovered amphibian *Leptobrachella tamdil*.
* **Existing Infrastructure:** The museum currently houses over 500 specimens, including herbarium sheets and wet-preserved collections, managed by a multidisciplinary team of experts.
**Conservation and Strategic Goals**
* **Scientific Research:** Authenticated collections are intended to improve species identification, traceability, and scientific documentation.
* **Ex Situ Conservation:** The designation supports the conservation of genetic diversity and provides a safeguard for ecological restoration following natural disasters or habitat loss.
* **Global and National Alignment:** The initiative advances India’s National Biodiversity Target 4 (2024-2030) and aligns with Target 4 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
* **Logistical Efficiency:** By preserving specimens closer to their source in the Northeast, the designation reduces logistical challenges for regional researchers.
**Impact Analysis**
**Natural History Museum (NHM), Mizoram University**
**Impact**
The museum is now a critical component of India’s national biodiversity governance, gaining official status to hold and manage authenticated biological resources.
**Action Required**
The museum must continue to expand its collection of voucher and type specimens while utilizing its multidisciplinary team to provide taxonomic expertise and research support.
**Scientific and Research Community**
**Impact**
Researchers in the North-eastern region gain localized access to a designated repository, facilitating easier documentation of new discoveries and scientific collaboration.
**Action Required**
Scientists must deposit type specimens of newly discovered regional species at the NHM to ensure legal compliance and long-term preservation.
**Mizoram State Biodiversity Board and Regional Institutions**
**Impact**
These bodies benefit from a strengthened regional infrastructure that facilitates better documentation of the over 7,500 plant and 2,000 faunal species in the area.
**Action Required**
These entities are expected to collaborate with the NHM to streamline biodiversity documentation and conservation efforts.
**National Biodiversity Authority / Central Government**
**Impact**
The government moves closer to fulfilling national and international biodiversity targets regarding genetic diversity and ex situ conservation.
**Action Required**
The Ministry must ensure the NHM is integrated into the national network of repositories to maintain standardized biodiversity governance.
Key Entities Referenced
Biological Diversity Act, 2002: The primary legislation under which the Natural History Museum was designated as a repository for preserving biological specimens.
Natural History Museum (NHM), Mizoram University: The institution notified as India’s 21st Designated Repository responsible for maintaining voucher specimens of flora and fauna.
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA): The regulatory body that recommended the designation of the museum as a repository under the Biological Diversity Act.
India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2024-2030): The strategic policy document whose conservation targets are advanced by this designation.
Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot: The ecologically significant region for which the museum will provide specialized taxonomic documentation and conservation support.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Mizoram’s Natural History Museum notified as
India’s 21st Designated Repository under
Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Designation strengthens biodiversity conservation and
scientific documentation in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity
Hotspot
प्रव तथ: 07 JUL 2026 10:46AM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has designated the Natural History Museum
(NHM), Mizoram University, Aizawl, as a Designated Repository under Section 39 of the Biological
Diversity Act, 2002. Based on the recommendation of the National Biodiversity Authority and after due
examination of the proposal, the Central Government notified the institution as a Designated Repository
on 19 June 2026. With this notification, NHM becomes India’s 21st Designated Repository, further
strengthening the country’s biodiversity conservation and scientific infrastructure.
Designated Repositories constitute an important component of India’s biodiversity governance framework
by preserving authenticated biological specimens accessed under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
The NHM will maintain voucher specimens of select flora, including pteridophytes and macrofungi, and
fauna such as reptiles, amphibians, fishes, moths, beetles and butterflies. It will also serve as the
designated depository for type specimens of newly discovered species from the region. These
authenticated collections will strengthen species identification, traceability and scientific research while
safeguarding India’s biological resources for long-term conservation. They will also support future
ecological restoration in the event of habitat loss, natural disasters or species decline.
Established in 2022 under the aegis of Mizoram University, a Central University established by an Act of
Parliament, the NHM is uniquely positioned because of its location within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity
Hotspot and its specialised taxonomic expertise. Mizoram and the wider North-eastern Region harbour
more than 7,500 species of flowering plants and over 2,000 faunal species. The museum’s expertise in
pteridophytes, macrofungi, moths, beetles and other lesser-studied taxa fills an important gap in India’s
network of Designated Repositories and strengthens the scientific documentation of the region’s rich
biodiversity.
The repository will also support the documentation and conservation of endemic species unique to the
region, including the recently described amphibian Leptobrachella tamdil, discovered in the forests of
Mizoram, underscoring the Northeast’s global importance as a centre of biodiversity and species
discovery.
Even before its designation, the NHM had demonstrated its scientific preparedness by collecting and
preserving more than 500 specimens, including herbarium sheets and wet-preserved collections. Its
multidisciplinary scientific team comprises experts from Mizoram University across seven specialisedtaxonomic groups, ranging from macrofungi and pteridophytes to fishes, moths and butterflies.
The designation further strengthens India’s national network of Designated Repositories by enabling the
preservation of biological specimens closer to their source, improving scientific documentation, reducing
logistical challenges and facilitating collaboration with the Mizoram State Biodiversity Board and regional
research institutions.
Complementing the existing repositories of the Botanical Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India and
other notified institutions, the designation advances National Biodiversity Target 4 of India’s National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2024-2030) by strengthening ex situ conservation and the
conservation of genetic diversity, in line with Target 4 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity
Framework.
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VM/GS
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