UPSC Mains 2018 GS3 Q17 — Biodiversity Conservation

• Spatial distribution of biodiversity across India's 10 biogeographic zones.
• Factors influencing variation such as topography, climate, and latitude.
• The three-tier institutional mechanism (National, State, Local) created by the 2002 Act.
• Specific mechanisms for conservation such as Biodiversity Heritage Sites and People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs).
• The role of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in protecting indigenous flora/fauna and traditional knowledge.

• Listing only the four global biodiversity hotspots instead of the broader biogeographic variation across the whole of India.
• Focusing entirely on the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 instead of the specific Biological Diversity Act 2002.
• Neglecting the role of local communities and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) which is the hallmark of this specific Act.
• Failing to mention the 'Access and Benefit Sharing' (ABS) principle which is the legal core of the 2002 Act's utility.

Dedicate approximately 100 words to the variation part, moving from the trans-Himalayas to the islands. Use the remaining 150 words to detail the BDA 2002, specifically highlighting the 3-tier structure and the PBRs as tools for flora and fauna conservation.