PM Modi Praises Great Indian Bustard Conservation in Mann Ki Baat
PM Modi Praises Great Indian Bustard Conservation in Mann Ki Baat
In Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi highlights conservation efforts for the Great Indian Bustard, praising scientific interventions and Rajasthan breeding centers to safeguard the endangered bird.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 133rd Mann Ki Baat address, highlighted ongoing conservation efforts for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, or GIB. He reminded listeners that the bird's numbers had dwindled to a trickle and that extinction had once looked likely, before science and sustained action changed the trajectory.
Modi credited advances such as artificial insemination technology and the creation of dedicated breeding centres at Ramdevra and Sudashri in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district.
He noted that the Great Indian Bustard remains Rajasthan's state bird and one of the rarest birds on the planet. It is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, in the IUCN Red List, and in CITES.
The Bustard Recovery Programme, launched in 2016, is a joint effort by the Rajasthan government, the environment ministry, and the Abu Dhabi-based International Fund for Houbara Conservation.
The programme focuses on captive breeding and creating a sustainable environment for future releases of captive-born GIB into the wild.
Modi urged people to understand nature, respect it, and live in harmony with it, saying such reverence can drive positive change. Yet he acknowledged that despite progress, the population remains below 200, with most individuals resident in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
