New Delhi, July 8 -- The Centre has designated the Natural History Museum at Mizoram University in Aizawl, as a "Designated Repository" under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, according to an official statement. Designated Repositories constitute an important component of India's biodiversity governance framework by preserving authenticated biological specimens accessed under the Biological Diversity Act. "Based on the recommendation of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and after due examination of the proposal, the Central Government notified the institution as a Designated Repository on June 19, 2026. With this notification, NHM becomes India's 21st Designated Repository, further strengthening the country's biodiversity conservation and scientific infrastructure," the Union environment ministry said. Officials said the NHM will maintain voucher specimens of select flora and fauna....