Plant Genome Saviour Community explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
A community of farmers that conserves landraces and wild relatives of economic plants, and whose conserved material has been used as a gene donor in registrable varieties, can receive the Plant Genome Saviour Community Award. The Rules, made under section 45(2) of the Act, set the number of awards, the eligibility criteria, the application route and the selection committee.
Rules as amended up to 3 October 2026 (no amendment listed by the Authority). Later notifications should be checked on plantauthority.gov.in.
The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (Community Award from the Gene Fund) Rules, 2018 (G.S.R. 391(E) of 24 April 2018) give a maximum of five awards a financial year, each comprising a citation, memento and cash of rupees ten lakhs. The applicant is a community of farmers whose conserved material has been used as donors of genes in registrable varieties. No fees are charged. The application goes in triplicate through a Panchayat Biodiversity Management Committee or another named office. A community can win once, and no more than one community from a State receives the award in a year.
Where the Rules come from
G.S.R. 391(E) of 24 April 2018 was made by the Central Government under section 45(2) of the Act, read with clause (lvi) of section 96(2). Section 45(2) provides that the National Gene Fund is applied, in the prescribed manner, for benefit sharing, compensation, supporting conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources, and benefit-sharing schemes; section 96(2)(lvi) lets the rules prescribe the manner of applying the Gene Fund. See sections 45 and 46.
Rule 1 gives the short title, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (Community Award from the Gene Fund) Rules, 2018. They came into force on publication in the Official Gazette. These Rules sit beside the 2012 award for individual farmers; see the Recognition and Reward Rules, 2012. Communities that wish to apply can ask our legal consultation team for a review of their papers.
Rule 2: the award
| Rule | Provision |
|---|---|
| 2(1) | A community of farmers engaged in the conservation of genetic resources of landraces and wild relatives of economic plants and their improvement through selection and preservation "shall be entitled to an award to be called 'Plant Genome Saviour Community Award'" |
| 2(2) | "a maximum of five awards or less in a financial year" |
| 2(3) | "The Award shall comprise of citation, memento and cash of rupees ten lakhs each" |
Rule 4: the application
| Sub-rule | Provision |
|---|---|
| 4(1) | The application form is in Schedule-I annexed to the Rules |
| 4(2) | It may be submitted in English or Hindi |
| 4(3) | It is submitted in triplicate |
| 4(4) | "No fees shall be charged from the farming community while applying for the Award" |
| 4(5) | It is forwarded through the Chairperson or Secretary of the concerned Panchayat Biodiversity Management Committee, or the concerned District Agricultural Officer, or the Director of Research of the concerned State Agricultural University, or the concerned District Tribal Development Office, or the Zonal Project Director of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, "with official seal" |
Rule 5: a community that is not a legal person
"If the community of farmers selected for the Award is not a legal person then the Chairperson of the Authority may direct the community to register themselves as a legal person under any law, before the grant of the Award." A community selected for the award that is only an informal group may therefore be asked to register as a society, cooperative or other entity before the cash is paid. The Rules do not say which forms of registration qualify.
Rule 6: eligibility and the Committee
Eligibility (6(2)). The community of farmers, "particularly, the tribal, village, rural and farming communities", must be engaged in the conservation of genetic resources of landraces and wild relatives of economic plants and their improvement through selection and preservation, and the material so selected must have been used as donors of genes in varieties registrable under the Act.
Criteria (6(3)).
- (a) a community that has received the award "shall not be eligible to apply again";
- (b) in any financial year, the award shall not be conferred on more than one community from the same State;
- (c) a shortlisted community must deposit a specified quantity of seeds or propagating material with the Authority, to be decided by its Chairperson;
- (d) the Authority conducts a site inspection of the shortlisted awardees for verification.
The Committee (6(5)). It comprises:
| Clause | Member |
|---|---|
| (a) | A person of outstanding calibre and eminent scientist with long practical experience in plant varietal research or agro-biodiversity, nominated by the Chairperson of the Authority (Chairman) |
| (b) | Nominee of the Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare |
| (c) | Nominee of the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change |
| (d) | Nominee of the Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj |
| (e) | Nominee of the Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development |
| (f) | Nominee of the Secretary, Department of Biotechnology |
| (g) | Representative of the Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research |
| (h) | Two Vice-Chancellors of State Agriculture Universities, nominated on rotation |
| (i) | Two Directors from institutes of ICAR, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research or the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education |
| (j) | A Director of Agriculture or Horticulture from a State, on rotation; the States in (h) and (j) must be different |
| (k) | Two farmers or two persons engaged in biodiversity-related activities, one of whom shall be a woman |
| (l) | One representative from a non-governmental organisation working in agro-biodiversity conservation |
The Registrar (Farmers' Rights) is the Secretary of the Committee (6(6)) and the quorum is five (6(7)).
Schedule-I: the application form
The form is for a community of farmers engaged in conservation and improvement of landraces and wild relatives, whose material has been used as a gene donor. It asks for: the year; the name of the community; postal address; whether the applicant is registered or unregistered (with registration number and year); the area to which the community belongs; the location of the conservation sites; the plants or crops and the list of varieties conserved or improved; how many varieties were conserved or improved; the area planted with them; innovative methods, practices or storage techniques; varieties shared or exchanged with others for varietal development and any transfer agreement; the distinct character identified; the organisation that identified it; whether the varieties are entered in the People's Biodiversity Register; any other award; agencies conversant with the claims; bank account details where the community has an account; and a brief outline, in fifteen to twenty lines, of the proposed work plan for using the award money.
The notes say: sign each page; extra pages may be attached; the declaration and the certificate must be attached. The declaration, signed by a representative of the farming community, states that the information is true to the applicant's knowledge and belief. The certificate, with date and seal, is by one of the endorsing officers and states that the community has conserved and improved the materials mentioned and that they have been used as donors of genes in registrable varieties.
Need help with a community award application?
Communities need a clear record of conservation, a correct endorsement, and sometimes a legal form before the award is paid. Our legal consultation team can help a community assemble the application and decide on a suitable legal structure.
Key takeaways
- The Plant Genome Saviour Community Award is for a community of farmers conserving landraces and wild relatives whose material has been used as gene donors.
- A maximum of five awards a year, each a citation, memento and cash of rupees ten lakhs.
- No fees are charged; three copies are forwarded through a named office with official seal.
- A community can win once and only one community per State per year.
- A community that is not a legal person may be directed to register before the award is granted.
Read next
- Sections 45-46: the National Gene Fund
- Recognition and Reward Rules, 2012
- Sections 40-41: rights of communities
Disclaimer: Based on the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001 as amended up to the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, the PPV&FR Rules, 2003 as amended up to G.S.R. 803(E) of 16 November 2021, and the regulations, rules and scheme named in the article, as published by the PPV&FR Authority and consulted on 3 October 2026. Later notifications should be checked on plantauthority.gov.in. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.