PM Reaffirms Wildlife Pledge: World Wildlife Day

PM REAFFIRMS INDIA’S COMMITMENT TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ON WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

Why in the News?

  • Global Observance: Prime Minister reiterated India’s conservation commitment on World Wildlife Day.
  • Biodiversity Highlight: India’s leadership in protecting tigers, one-horned rhinoceros and Asiatic elephants was emphasised.

PM Reaffirms Wildlife Pledge: World Wildlife Day

INDIA’S WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Tiger Leadership: India hosts over 70% of global tiger population, reflecting the success of long-standing conservation strategies with personal information protection in wildlife tracking systems.
  • Megafauna Protection: Country has largest populations of one-horned rhinoceros and Asiatic elephants, indicating ecosystem resilience supported by constitutional privacy protections in data management.
  • Species Recovery: Focus on revival of Great Indian Bustard, Gharial, Sloth Bear and cheetah translocation initiatives.
  • Habitat Safeguards: Emphasis on protecting critical habitats through protected areas, wildlife corridors and conservation reserves.
  • Global Cooperation: Establishment of International Big Cat Alliance promotes sharing of best practices internationally.

POLICY FRAMEWORK AND ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

  • Sustainable Practices: Conservation approach integrates habitat protection, community participation and sustainable development with consumer privacy protection in eco-tourism initiatives.
  • Ecosystem Services: Wildlife conservation supports biodiversity balance, climate regulation and ecological security.
  • Restoration Focus: Commitment extends to species recovery and ecosystem restoration efforts with prior judicial review mechanisms for environmental clearances.
  • Threat Recognition: Government acknowledges threats from habitat loss, climate change and human-wildlife conflict, ensuring exclusion of evidence obtained through improper means in enforcement actions.
  • Institutional Mechanisms: Implementation supported through Project Tiger, Project Elephant and national wildlife action plans with administrative law remedies for policy disputes.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FRAMEWORK IN INDIA

●  Constitutional Basis: Article 48A and Article 51A(g) mandate protection of environment and wildlife with constitutional privacy protections for stakeholders.

●  Legal Framework: Governed primarily by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 ensuring procedural fairness and taxpayer privacy rights in conservation funding.

●  Protected Areas: Includes National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves and Conservation Reserves.

●  International Commitments: India is signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other global treaties.

●  UPSC Relevance: Topic is crucial for GS Paper III, covering biodiversity, conservation policy and environmental governance.