The designation expands India’s network of biodiversity repositories, enabling closer-to-habitat specimen preservation, improved documentation, reduced transport logistics, and stronger collaborations with the Mizoram State Biodiversity Board and regional institutions.

The museum, established in 2022, sits in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and specializes in taxonomy, notably pteridophytes, macrofungi, moths, beetles, and other lesser-studied taxa.

NHM will maintain voucher specimens of select flora and fauna, including pteridophytes, macrofungi, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, moths, beetles and butterflies, and will serve as the designated depository for type specimens of newly discovered regional species.

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The NBA operates under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, coordinating a three-tier structure (NBA at national level, State Biodiversity Boards, and Biodiversity Management Committees) to regulate access to biological resources, ensure fair benefit-sharing with local communities, and promote conservation and sustainable use.

Aim of the NBA includes securing benefits for local communities, declaring biodiversity heritage sites, protecting threatened species, and collaborating with state institutions to implement the BD Act through various committees.

The NHM’s designation signals Northeast India’s growing role in biodiversity research, taxonomy, conservation science, and ecological documentation, amid increasing threats to biodiversity.

The museum currently houses over 500 specimens, including herbarium sheets and wet-preserved collections, and has a multidisciplinary team focusing on seven taxonomic groups, including macrofungi, pteridophytes, fishes, moths, and butterflies.

NHM Mizoram University has already demonstrated readiness by collecting and preserving over 500 specimens, including herbarium sheets and wet-preserved collections, prior to designation.

The NHM has already collected and preserved over 500 specimens, including herbarium sheets and wet-preserved collections, and its team covers seven specialized taxonomic groups.