National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) launches short-term internship programme to expand Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme (BSIP)

Key facts

• National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) launched a short-term internship programme of up to 3 months for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• The programme offers project-based, experiential learning by engaging students with NBA’s ongoing biodiversity governance, conservation strategies, and policy support initiatives.
• The Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme (BSIP) is in its sixth cycle with 24 interns selected through an all-India competitive process.
• BSIP interns are deployed across State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs) for one year.
• Top-performing BSIP candidates can extend their internship for up to two additional years.
• BSIP is implemented collaboratively by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• The programme was first launched on 22 May 2020, the International Day for Biological Diversity.
• NBA invests approximately ₹1 crore annually in these internship programmes.