The World Wildlife Day is being observed today to celebrate wild animals and plants. The central government has taken several initiatives for Wildlife Conservation and Protection in the country. The Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry has instituted a comprehensive framework of policies, legislative measures, and initiatives aimed at conserving and protecting this natural heritage. 

Akashvani Correspondent reports that India is globally recognized for its rich and diverse wildlife, encompassing a wide array of ecosystems and species. It has a network of more than one thousand Protected Areas including 106 National Parks, 573 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 115 Conservation Reserves. In recent years, the Central government has taken several measures to promote wildlife conservation and protection in India. It has allocated a budget of over three thousand 412 crore rupees for the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change for 2025-26, which is nine per cent higher than the last financial year. It has also allocated 450 crore rupees for the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats under its centrally sponsored scheme. India achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully satellite-tagging the first-ever Ganges River Dolphin in Assam last year under Project Dolphin. The country has 54 tiger reserves and it is now the host of over 70 per cent of the world’s wild tiger population, reaffirming its leadership in global tiger conservation. A landmark wildlife conservation initiative, Project Cheetah has been launched to reintroduce cheetahs to India after their extinction in the late 1940s. India’s wild elephant population has also increased in recent years. Campaigns like Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam were launched to encourage individuals to plant trees in honour of their mothers and Mother Earth and till December last year, over 102 crore trees had been planted under this campaign. With Dipendra Kumar, Adarsh for Akashvani News, Delhi.