The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announced a landmark achievement in the conservation of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB). After a decade, a chick hatched in the grasslands of Kutch, Gujarat, thanks to a novel Jumpstart Approach coordinated by MoEFCC, the forest departments of Rajasthan and Gujarat, and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
Key Developments
- 22 March 2026: A fertile egg, incubated at the Conservation Breeding Centre in Sam, Rajasthan, was transported 770 km in a handheld incubator to the nest of a female GIB in Naliya, Gujarat.
- 26 March 2026: The female successfully incubated the egg and the chick hatched, marking the first successful trans‑state conservation effort for GIB.
- Current status: Only three female GIBs remain in Kutch; the hatchling is being reared by its foster mother in the wild.
- Conservation breeding numbers: 73 birds are now housed in the Conservation Breeding Centres at Sam and Ramdevra, Rajasthan, with five new chicks added this season.
- Future plan: India is moving towards large‑scale rewilding of GIB and other threatened birds.
Important Facts
- Project GIB was envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2011 and formally launched in 2016.
- The egg transport required a continuous, halt‑free corridor from Sam (Rajasthan) to Naliya (Gujarat), covering 770 km in 19 hours.
- The female GIB that laid the infertile egg in August 2025 was tagged for monitoring.
- The successful hatch demonstrates the feasibility of moving fertile eggs across state borders to boost wild populations.
UPSC Relevance
This case study touches upon several UPSC syllabus points: environmental policy implementation (MoEFCC’s role), species‑specific conservation strategies (Jumpstart Approach, rewilding), inter‑state coordination (Rajasthan‑Gujarat collaboration), and the significance of flagship species like the Great Indian Bustard in biodiversity preservation (GS4: Environment). Understanding such initiatives helps answer questions on wildlife management, policy design, and the challenges of conserving critically endangered fauna.
Way Forward
- Scale the Jumpstart Approach to other GIB habitats across India.
- Strengthen habitat restoration in Kutch to support the survival of the fledgling and remaining females.
- Expand rewilding programmes for other threatened avian species.
- Enhance monitoring infrastructure (GPS tagging, community participation) to track post‑release survival.
- Mobilise additional funding and technical expertise through public‑private partnerships and international conservation bodies.