1	How to start using e-filing portal?
	Applicants who wish to file application on-line shall register in the Home page of the site by clicking “New Registration” button, which will take them to Applicant’s Profile page, where they are required to enter personal details along with a login ID and a password. There is a validation process, in which a confirmation mail will be sent to the email ID provided by the applicant in the profile page.By clicking the link provided in the email, the applicant will be directed to the Home page-log in site. If a user is already registered he can log in using the User ID and Password
2	How to choose the correct application form ?
	After log in and choosing ‘Apply online’ from the main menu, the applicant will be taken to a page which will display “Do you need assistance to know your application form?” If you click ‘yes’ then it will redirect you to “Know Your Form” page. If you click ‘no’, it will take youto a page containing four types of Forms and you can choose appropriate Form for online filing. Applicant can enter either as individual or as an entity and then the status and the type of activity for which approval is sought will be displayed. By selecting a particular activity, the applicant will be directed to the appropriate Form.
3	What are the activities which need prior approval under the Biological Diversity Act 2002 ?
	Accessing biological resources and/ or associated knowledge for:- Research Bio-survey and Bio-utilization Commercial Utilization Transfer of research results Applying for Intellectual Property Rights Third party transfer of accessed biological resources and/ or associated knowledge.
4	Who is required to get approval under the Act for accessing biological resources and/ or associated knowledge for the above activities ?
	Accessing biological resources and/ or associated knowledge for:- Persons who are citizens of India, Body corporate, association or organization registered in India Persons who are not citizens of India Non-resident Indian as defined under clause 30 of Section 2 of the Income-Tax Act, 1961 Body corporate, Association or Organization which is not incorporated or registered in India Body corporate, Association or Organisation incorporated or registered in India having non-Indian participation in its share capital or management.
5	What types of Application Forms they can file ?
	Form I: To access biological resources and/or associated knowledge occurring in India for research or bio-survey or bio-utilization or commercial utilization, by the person referred under sl.no iii, iv & vi at question no.4 Form II: To transfer results of research involving biological resources occurring in or obtained from India and/or associated knowledge to the persons who fall u/s 3(2) of the BD Act, by all persons referred under question no.4 Form III: To apply for patent in India or outside for the invention based on research or information on biological resources obtained from India, by all persons referred under question no.4 Form IV: To transfer biological resources and/or associated knowledge already accessed by obtaining approval under Form I, to a third party, by the person referred under Sl.No iii, iv & vi at question no.4.
6	What are the fees required to be paid for various forms ?
	Form I: INR 10,000 Form II: INR 5,000 Form III: INR 500 Form IV: INR 10,000
7	What are the basic documents required to be kept ready before e-filing ?
	Address/ID proof- self-attested copies of any one of the following documents, each in A & B: A – Address Proof Valid passport Overseas resident card / PIO card Any document to prove NRI status Aadhaar card B – Identity Proof Driving Licence Government ID card Aadhaar card PAN Card Voter ID Other documents required are Letter of authorization, if there are more than one applicant or the applicant authorises someone or attorney to represent on his/her behalf Proof for doing business (for entity) – Document of Incorporation Agreement / MoU / letter of intent with the national/R&D institution for collaboration. Agreement / any negotiated instrument between applicant and provider of biological resources *Scanned copies of all these shall be self-attested and uploaded, wherever required, while filling up the Form.*
8	What is required to be done before submission of the Form ?
	After entering necessary details and submitting the form, a unique reference number will be generated by the system and then the applicant will be led to the payment gateway to facilitate making payment of application fee though ‘SBI collect’ link, online Those who wish to make payment through ‘SBI Collect’ can do so, by entering the unique number generated already and complete the payment process. After successful payment, an acknowledgement will be auto-generated with an application number If no digital signature is available, a print out of the acknowledgement has to be taken and forwarded to the NBA, duly signed by the applicant The applicant can also make payment through any other mode, provided, he/she has to submit reference number of the transaction and bank receipt to be uploaded by entering in the appropriate column. However, only on receipt of full payment by NBA, the application will be considered for processing
9	What is meant by the term “biological resource” ?
	“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”
10	What denotes "research" under the Biological Diversity Act ?
	“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;
11	Define – “bio survey and bio utilization?” ?
	“Bio survey and bio utilization" means survey or collection of species, subspecies, genes, components and extracts of biological resource for any purpose and includes characterization, inventorization and bioassay.
12	What is “commercial utilization" ?
	“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 livestock 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.
13	What kinds of benefits are envisaged under the benefit sharing arrangement approved by the NBA ?
	The benefits include monetary and/ or non-monetary components. Examples could include grant of joint ownership of IPRs, transfer of technology, association of Indian Scientists in R&D, setting up of venture capital fund, etc.
14	How to change the login password ?
	Change Password facility is available under header menu on Home page. User has to ensure the strong password. As per present policy, the password must contain at least one lowercase, one numeral or special character in the password and the length should be at least 4 words..
15	I need help and information about ABS E-filing system ?
	Live help is available during office hours (10.00 AM to 5:00 PM), on all working days. A staff member will answer your questions live and guide you further for filling up of application forms. Call : +91 44 2254 2777 or mail to techbs@nba.nic.in.
16	Which web browser is best suited for using the system ?
	Internet Explorer 6 and above
17	Can I edit the filled-in form after submitting declaration ?
	You can edit the filled-in form on preview screen before submission. Once it is submitted, it cannot be edited and only fresh application has to be filled in after trashing the previous one from your inbox
18	The following error is appearing on the screen when I attempt to fill in a form: “Error has occurred on the form. Please notify development team”. What am I expected to do ?
	Copy of the error details may be mailed to support@nbaindia.in or techbs@nba.nic.in for further action
19	Where can I check my application status from ?
	Check your application status using the link provided on the main page
20	Due to network problem, my link got disconnected while paying fee through online mode. My payment was not successful. What should I do ?
	You can access the page again by login and make payment
21	My online payment was unsuccessful. Can I pay the fee thro’ offline ?
	No, you can make payment of the fee online only. If payment is not successful, please retry after a gap of 10 minutes
22	What is the difference between a declaration with digital signature and without digital signature ?
	Applicant has two options to submit the online application viz. with digital signature or without digital signature If he opts to submit the application with digital signature, the application will be treated as submitted once he signs the application digitally Otherwise, if he opts to submit without digital signature, he will be required to take print out of the auto generated declaration, affix signature on it and then submit to NBA
23	Is the Digital Signature a must ?
	It is only optional, at present
24	Where can I get more information about the Biological Diversity Act and Rule ?
	The Biological Diversity Act and its Rules and other important notifications can be accessed through NBA’s websitehttp://nbaindia.org/content/18/21/1/notifications.html.
25	I have more questions - what should I do
	Please email techbs@nba.nic.in, if you have any general question that hasn't been answered here. Please refer to FAQ 15 also
26	Is there a deadline for partially saved application ?
	Yes. If your application remains unsubmitted for thirty days from the date of last login, it will be removed automatically. If necessary, you have to apply afresh
27	How do I know that my application is submitted successfully ?
	If the application is submitted successfully, the system will auto-generate a unique Application Number along with an Acknowledgement
28	Whether it is necessary to seek approval of NBA by the applicants who filed patent applications before coming into force of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and BD Rules 2004 (i.e. before 1st July 2004) ?
	No. Patent applications filed prior to the coming into force of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and Rules 2004 (01st July 2004) do not come under the purview of the Act. Hence, those who filed patent applications in India or outside the country, on inventions based on any research or information on a biological resource obtained from India, need not file Form III to National Biodiversity Authority, to seek prior approval for obtaining the patents.

	Disclaimer : The information in this FAQ is intended only to provide a general overview of e-Filing of ABS application. For further details please login to www.nbaindia.org.

FAQ