New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended greetings to wildlife enthusiasts on Global Tiger Day. He said India takes pride in being home to nearly 70% of the world’s tiger population.
In a post on X, the PM said India’s tiger conservation efforts draw from the country’s long-standing culture of coexisting with nature. He credited the collective will of citizens for the country’s conservation success. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to science-based conservation, community participation, and sustainable development, according to an official statement.
Modi also praised forest personnel, scientists, and conservationists for their role in protecting tigers. He said India remains focused on empowering local communities and reducing human-wildlife conflict.
Meanwhile, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the Global Tiger Day 2026 event organised by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in New Delhi.
He called for a stronger societal bond with nature and encouraged people to adopt a conservation-focused lifestyle. Union Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh also attended alongside senior officials, wildlife experts, forest staff, and students.
Yadav said conservation goes beyond protecting wildlife – it also means building a respectful relationship with nature. He said nature should not be viewed only as a source of tourism or entertainment, and that people should draw peace and inspiration from it.
The minister highlighted India’s rising tiger numbers, now at 3,682, along with an increase in tiger reserves to 58. He credited the growth to the government’s leadership over the past 12 years. He added that elephant reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, protected areas, community reserves, and wetlands have all expanded during this period.
Yadav launched NTCA’s new Eco-tourism webpage, which brings information on all tiger reserves onto a single platform. The page links directly to official tiger reserve websites for safari bookings and accommodation, aiming to promote responsible, nature-based tourism.
He also spoke about the value of documenting conservation work, saying forest officers’ experiences carry traditional knowledge and passion beyond raw data. He urged officers to write about their work in ways that can shape practical policy.
He called for capacity building among forest staff using global best practices, pointing to the International Big Cat Alliance as a platform for global knowledge-sharing under the PM’s leadership.
NTCA Awards were presented to wildlife officers and other contributors recognised for their work in tiger conservation and protected area management. The event also honoured frontline forest staff for their contribution to wildlife protection.
Yadav reviewed an exhibition of entries from painting, sketching, slogan-writing, and mask-making competitions held on the theme ‘Save Tiger’ for school students across Delhi-NCR.
A nationwide tiger conservation awareness campaign was also run through Eco-clubs under the ministry’s Environment Education Programme, with special attention to schools near tiger reserves.
