Write a short note on Biodiversity in India and when did India became member of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

India, a mega diverse country with only 2.4 % of world’s land area, accounts for 7-8% of all recorded species. It includes over 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals.

• The country’s diverse physical features and climatic conditions have resulted in a variety of ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, desert, coastal and marine ecosystems.

Four of 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots are found in India. They are:
• The Himalayas
• The Western ghats
• The North-East
• The Nicobar islands
India became state member of IUCN in 1969, through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change(MoEFCC).