Context:
Prime Minister chairs 7th meeting of National Board for Wildlife.
Key Highlights:
- 1st Riverine Dolphin Estimation Report released
- Highest Numbers – Found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam.
- National Referral Centre for Wildlife (Junagadh) – Established for wildlife health and disease management.
- Centre of Excellence at SACON, Coimbatore – Focused on dealing with human-wildlife conflict.
- Asiatic Lion Population Estimation – 16th population estimation initiated in 2025 (last done in 2020).
- Expansion of Cheetah Introduction Projects to Gandhisagar Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh) and Banni Grasslands (Gujarat).
- National Great Indian Bustard Conservation Action Plan to include a new project for the conservation of Gharials.
- Support for Asiatic Lions at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary through prey augmentation and habitat improvement.
National Board of Wildlife:
- India’s top-level advisory body to the government on matters pertaining to wildlife conservation, particularly within Protected Areas (PAs).
- Established under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
- The Act mandates that, without the approval/recommendation of the NBWL, construction of tourist lodges, alteration of the boundaries of PAs, destruction or diversion of wildlife habitat, and de-notification of Tiger Reserves cannot be done.
- Chairperson – Prime Minister
- Vice-Chairperson – Union Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment & Forests.
Read more about Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022
Source: TOI
Previous Year Question
If a particular plant species is placed under Schedule VI of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, what is the implication?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) A licence is required to cultivate that plant
(b) Such a plant cannot be cultivated under any circumstances
(c) It is a Genetically Modified crop plant
(d) Such a plant is invasive and harmful to the ecosystem
Answer: (a)
