Narendra Modi, in his 133rd episode of Mann Ki Baat, has highlighted the current conservation efforts to save the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard and how scientific innovation, coupled with continued ground action, is helping revive the species. The Prime Minister said that the bird is a hallmark of the desert, that its numbers had fallen dangerously low once, and that its extinction was also a possibility.
He indicated that specialized conservation policies, such as sophisticated scientific techniques, including artificial insemination and the creation of breeding centres, especially at Ramdevra and the Sudashri in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, have already started yielding positive results. He says that these concerted efforts are slowly contributing to stabilising and improving the bird population.
Modi emphasized the importance of living in harmony with nature and said that when ecosystems are embraced and cared for, meaningful change can be achieved. The Great Indian Bustard, the heaviest flying bird in the world and the state bird of Rajasthan, is now listed as a rare bird worldwide.
It was very common throughout the Indian subcontinent, but now with only around 200 individuals. The majority of the remaining birds are found in Rajasthan and Gujarat, with smaller populations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
The species is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and is also considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, underscoring the urgency of additional conservation measures.