♦ The Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary, announced the establishment of the second National Gene Bank (NGB) as part of its efforts to ensure long-term food and nutritional security on 28 March 2025.

♦ This initiative, which falls under the “Investing in Innovations” theme of the Union Budget 2025-26, aims to conserve 10 lakh crop germplasm for the future.

♦ The first National Gene Bank, located at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) in New Delhi, currently holds the distinction of being the second-largest gene bank in the world, with 4,71,561 accessions from 2,157 species. 

♦ The new Gene Bank, which will feature state-of-the-art infrastructure, is designed to expand India’s capacity to conserve a wider variety of plant germplasm, helping to further strengthen the country’s position as a leader in global biodiversity conservation.