National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)

• NBWL is a statutory board set up under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. 
• The National Board of Wildlife is chaired by the Prime Minister of India. 
• The Board is responsible for promotion of conservation and development of wildlife and forests. 

State Board for Wildlife (SBWL)

• • Under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, State Governments are responsible for the creation of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL).

• SBWL is headed by the Chief Minister of the State and in case of the Union territory, either Chief Minister or Administrator.

• Its primary duty is to advise the State Government on management of protected areas and conservation of wildlife.

Why in News?

• The National Board for Wildlife has deferred permission for oil exploration by a company in Desoi Reserve forest in Assam, which is a habitat of the endangered Hoolock gibbon.

About Gibbons

• Gibbons are a group of small to medium-sized apes. They are the smallest and fastest of all apes.
• There are 20 species of Gibbons in the world. 
• Gibbons are found in evergreen tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, including countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, and Vietnam.

Types of Gibbons Found in India

• Hoolock gibbons are the only apes found in India. 
• It was widely considered that India has two species of Gibbons: the Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) and the Eastern Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys).

• However, a study conducted by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in 2021 proved that Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) is the only gibbon found in India.
• Genetic analysis of the study noted that there is no separate species of eastern hoolock gibbon in northeast India, debunking earlier research that had suggested a separate species (the assumed eastern hoolock gibbon) based on coat colour.

Conservation Status

• Wildlife Protection Act (2022): Schedule I.