Project GIB Adds Three Chicks, Taking Captive Stock to 94 Birds: Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav

1. At a Glance

• Project GIB = integrated conservation-breeding programme for the Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), India's most endangered large bird, run by MoEFCC + Wildlife Institute of India (WII) + Rajasthan Forest Department [1][2].
• Captive stock has crossed 94 birds; 26 chicks hatched in the 4th year of breeding alone [1].
• Significance for UPSC: tests species-recovery model, intersects with renewable-energy vs biodiversity litigation (SC's M.K. Ranjitsinh case), CMS Appendix I, and Thar desert ecology [4][5].

2. Why in the News

• 14 June 2026 (PIB Delhi): Union MoEFCC Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav announced 3 new chicks — 1 from a wild-collected egg, 2 from captive-laid eggs — pushing captive stock to 94 [1].
• Cumulative tally in the 4th season: 26 chicks, with more hatchings expected [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 2012: GIB listed under Species Recovery Programme of MoEFCC's Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats [2].
• 2013: Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary (Rollapadu, etc.) and state action plans.
• 2016: Project titled "Habitat Improvement and Conservation Breeding of Great Indian Bustard – an integrated approach" drafted by WII; ₹33.85 crore sanctioned for 5 years [2].
• Feb 2020: GIB added to Appendix I of CMS at COP-13, Gandhinagar [4][5].
• June 2019: Conservation-breeding centre identified at Kota district, Rajasthan; satellite facility set up at Sam, Jaisalmer [2].
• 2022–23: First captive-laid egg hatched, marking start of self-sustaining captive cycle.
• 2025: Trans-state translocation results in successful hatching of a GIB chick in Gujarat after a decade [3].

4. Core Static Facts

• Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps [5].
• IUCN status: Critically Endangered; ~150 individuals in the wild (2018 estimate) [4].
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
• CITES: Appendix I; CMS: Appendix I (since 2020) [5].
• Implementing ministry: MoEFCC (not Ministry of Earth Sciences) [1].
• Technical partners: Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun; Rajasthan Forest Department; International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) & Reneco, Abu Dhabi, UAE [2].
• Breeding centres: Sam, Jaisalmer (satellite); Sorsan/Ramdevra chick-rearing; designated centre at Kota district [2].
• Outlay: ₹33.85 crore / 5 years [2].
• Range states: Rajasthan (Thar — last stronghold), Gujarat (Kutch), Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh [2].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Environmental

• Flagship species for arid grassland / Thar desert ecosystem; recovery indicates health of an ecosystem usually ignored in forest-centric conservation [2].
• Power-line collisions identified by CMS as the principal anthropogenic mortality factor [5].

Legal / Constitutional

• M.K. Ranjitsinh v. UoI (SC, 2021 order and March 2024 modification): SC initially mandated undergrounding of power lines in GIB habitat; in 2024 SC constituted an expert committee balancing Article 21 (right to clean environment, climate) with species protection — landmark for right against climate change [5].
• Protected under WPA 1972 Schedule I; CMS Appendix I obligates range-state cooperation with Pakistan [5].

Scientific / Technological

• Use of artificial incubation, hatching, hand-rearing based on Houbara bustard protocols transferred from UAE [2].
• Genetic management — only 4th year of programme, so inbreeding-avoidance and eventual soft-release trials are the next frontier [1].

Geopolitical

• India–UAE technical cooperation (IFHC, Reneco) → soft-power conservation diplomacy [2].
• Trans-boundary movement to Pakistan's Cholistan — hunting there flagged in CMS proposal [5].

Administrative

• Multi-actor: Centre (MoEFCC) funds; State Forest Departments of Rajasthan & Gujarat execute; WII gives science; foreign body gives tech — model of cooperative federalism + international PPP [2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• June 2026: 3 chicks hatched; 94-bird captive stock [1].
• 2025: First GIB chick hatched in Gujarat in ~10 years via trans-state egg translocation [3].
• 2025: Project entered 4th year, earlier press note recorded 2 new chicks opening the season [2].
• March 2024: SC modifies its 2021 blanket undergrounding order; sets up expert panel — invoking right to be free from adverse effects of climate change under Articles 14 & 21.

7. Prelims Hooks

• Great Indian Bustard scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps [5].
• IUCN Red List status: Critically Endangered [4].
• CMS Appendix: Appendix I (added at COP-13, Gandhinagar, 2020) [5].
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
• Lead ministry: MoEFCC; lead scientific body: WII, Dehradun [1][2].
• Foreign technical collaborators: IFHC and Reneco, Abu Dhabi (UAE) [2].
• Project title: "Habitat Improvement and Conservation Breeding of Great Indian Bustard — an integrated approach" [2].
• Outlay: ₹33.85 crore / 5 years [2].
• Satellite breeding facility: Sam, Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) [2].
• Identified main conservation breeding centre: Kota district, Rajasthan [2].
• Captive stock as of June 2026: 94 birds; 26 chicks in 4th breeding season [1].
• State bird of Rajasthan; locally called "Godawan".
• Landmark SC case: M.K. Ranjitsinh v. UoI on power-line undergrounding vs renewable energy.

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-III — Conservation, environment, biodiversity; also GS-II — international treaties (CMS, CITES); tangential GS-III — Renewable energy vs ecology.
• Syllabus heading: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation; Important International Institutions.
• Probable stems: 1. "Captive breeding alone cannot save the Great Indian Bustard without parallel habitat and infrastructure reforms. Critically examine." (GS-III) 2. "Discuss how the M.K. Ranjitsinh judgment reframes the conflict between India's climate commitments and biodiversity obligations." (GS-III/II) 3. "Evaluate the role of international cooperation (CMS, IFHC) in India's species-recovery programmes, with reference to Project GIB." (GS-II)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Species Recovery Programme (MoEFCC) — GIB is one of 22 listed species.
• CMS (Bonn Convention) & COP-13 Gandhinagar outcomes — Appendix I additions.
• M.K. Ranjitsinh v. UoI (2021/2024) — right against climate change.
• Houbara Bustard / IFHC Abu Dhabi model — for comparative captive breeding.
• Desert National Park, Jaisalmer — sole significant in-situ habitat.
• Project Cheetah — parallel flagship reintroduction programme.
• Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 — Schedule restructuring.
• India's NDC & solar push in Thar — drives the GIB power-line conflict.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Wrong ministry: it is MoEFCC, not Ministry of Earth Sciences or MoTA [1].
• Confusing with Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis) — also CR, also a bustard, but eastern floodplains, not Thar.
• Wrong IUCN status: GIB is Critically Endangered, not Endangered [4].
• Centre location: aspirants often write "Jaisalmer" only — the designated main centre is Kota, with Sam as satellite [2].
• Year of CMS Appendix I listing: 2020 (COP-13), not 2019 or 2022 [5].
• State bird confusion: GIB is state bird of Rajasthan, not Gujarat (Gujarat's is the Greater Flamingo).