"Gujarat Action Plan Released for Great Indian Bustard and Grassland Conservation"
Critically Endangered
IUCN Red List category for species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
Schedule I (WPA 1972)
Highest domestic protection tier; prohibits hunting and prescribes maximum penalties for listed species.
The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Under Indian law, it receives the highest level of protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which prohibits hunting and prescribes the most stringent penalties. Internationally, it is listed under Appendix I of CITES, banning commercial trade. The species was once distributed across arid and semi-arid grasslands from Punjab to Tamil Nadu. Today, the last viable wild population is almost entirely confined to Rajasthan's Thar desert, with a small, isolated remnant in Gujarat's Kachchh district. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is the nodal scientific institution for population assessments and habitat evaluations.
The GIB's decline is driven by two overlapping forces. Historically, grassland conversion to agriculture and hunting caused the collapse. Today, the primary threat is collision with overhead power transmission lines, a consequence of the species' poor frontal vision. Solar and wind energy expansion in the Thar region has intensified this threat by adding new overhead infrastructure within critical GIB habitat. Other species that share the same critically endangered or vulnerable status and are frequently tested alongside the GIB include the Musk Deer, Red Panda, and Asiatic Wild Ass, all genuinely threatened, in contrast to species such as Cheetal, Blue Bull, and Hanuman Langur, which are not endangered. This distinction matters because conservation policy prioritises species by threat category.
Grassland ecosystems cover nearly 24% of India's land area but remain among the most degraded and under-conserved ecosystems in the country. The Green India Mission, one of India's eight National Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, specifically aims at restoring and enhancing forest and ecosystem cover, including open natural ecosystems like grasslands, and responding to climate change through adaptation and mitigation. Grassland restoration thus sits at the intersection of biodiversity conservation and climate action, making it a recurring analytical theme for both GS3 Environment and GS1 Geography.
Project GIB is a joint Central–State initiative operating across four pillars: habitat improvement, predator management, egg and chick protection in the wild, and captive breeding. Captive breeding centres are established at Sam and Ramdevra in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, with international technical support. The programme builds an insurance population in captivity while simultaneously improving wild habitat to enable eventual reintroduction.
A key innovation in GIB recovery is the 'jump-start' intervention: infertile eggs laid by wild females are replaced with viable eggs from the captive breeding programme. This technique bridges the gap between captive breeding and wild population recovery without removing wild birds. The chick from the second such attempt has now survived beyond the critical first three months in the wild, marking a landmark result. A GIB Soft Release Centre near Naliya, Gujarat, will house and acclimatise captive-bred birds from Rajasthan before eventual wild release, once protocols and habitat conditions are ready.
Habitat management in the Kachchh landscape focuses on the Lala–Rawa landscape (approximately 200 sq. km.), with interventions including removal of the invasive shrub Prosopis juliflora, grazing management, predator-proof fencing, and mitigation of infrastructure threats. …
Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?
Which of the following best describes/describe the aim of 'Green India Mission' of the Government of India?
1.Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the 'green accounting'
2.Launching the second green revolution to enhance agricultural output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future
3.Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Consider the following statements regarding the Great Indian Bustard (GIB):
1.It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
2.It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
3.It is listed under Appendix II of CITES, which regulates but does not prohibit international trade.
4.Its last viable wild population is almost entirely confined to Rajasthan's Thar desert.
How many of the above statements are correct?
With reference to Project Cheetah in India, consider the following statements:
1.The founder population consisted of 29 cheetahs translocated from Namibia and South Africa.
2.The primary release site is Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
3.Banni Grasslands in Gujarat and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh have been identified as future release sites.
4.The cub survival rate at Kuno National Park is approximately 85%.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following pairs:
Species — Conservation Status (IUCN)
1.Great Indian Bustard — Critically Endangered
2.Musk Deer — Endangered
3.Red Panda — Vulnerable
4.Asiatic Wild Ass — Near Threatened
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Which of the following best describes the aim of the 'Green India Mission'?
1.Incorporating environmental costs into Union and State Budgets through green accounting.
2.Restoring and enhancing forest and ecosystem cover, including open natural ecosystems.
3.Responding to climate change through a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Consider the following statements regarding grassland ecosystems in India:
1.Grasslands cover nearly 24% of India's land area.
2.The Banni Grassland in Gujarat is identified as a future release site for cheetahs under Project Cheetah.
3.Prosopis juliflora is a native grass species being promoted for grassland restoration in Kachchh.
4.The Wildlife Institute of India is involved in the proposed five-year national grassland assessment.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
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