India’s Efforts towards Biodiversity Conservation: Ratifying International Commitments as a Way to Bridge the North-South Divide

Since ancient times, India's rich biodiversity has been a feather in its cap. Thus, housing a rich and diverse ecosystem, India has placed biodiversity as the foundation of its climate politics. Being a signatory to many international conventions and protocols for wildlife protection, many laws, missions, projects and initiatives have been undertaken both on national and international levels for the preservation of rich biodiversity of India. The recent legislations have been proposed by the government in accordance with international agreements on biodiversity conservation to which India is a partner. Also, as a highly populated tropical nation, India runs the risk of protecting biodiversity because of change in land use pattern and other anthropocentric activities. The paper answers a popular question: How far has India's ratification of international agreements towards biodiversity conservation bridged the North-South divide? Henceforth, the central argument of the paper is to analyse the two ways by which India sets an example of bridging the highly debated North-South divide: by insisting on financing the GS' (Global South) biodiversity conservation initiatives at the international level while at the national level, promoting tourism, traditional medicine and preserving the habitats of the indigenous communities which are essential for a GS nation inhabited by diverse communities living near the dense tropical forests.