Bhupender Yadav launches 'Lion' Species Spotlight at Sasan Gir ahead of India's first IBCA Summit (1-2 June 2026, New Delhi) chaired by PM Narendra Modi; 95 countries and 400+ delegates expected; theme — 'Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem'; India home to 5 of 7 big cat species.
Why in News
On 14 May 2026, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav launched the 'Lion' Species Spotlight Programme at Sasan Gir in Gujarat. The programme is a pre-event in the run-up to the first International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit to be held in New Delhi on 1–2 June 2026 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit is expected to bring together representatives from 95 countries and more than 400 delegates — heads of state, ministers, policymakers, scientists, conservation experts, multilateral agencies and financial institutions — under the theme 'Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem'. The IBCA, formally announced by India in April 2023 at the 50-year celebration of Project Tiger and launched as a multi-country treaty body in 2024, focuses on the conservation of seven big cat species — Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma — of which India is home to five: Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and (reintroduced) Cheetah. The Gir event also showcased India's Asiatic lion conservation success story: the Asiatic lion population in the Greater Gir Landscape rose to 891 individuals in the 2025 estimation, marking a 32% increase over the 674 count of 2020. The story has direct implications for India's wildlife conservation policy, the Project Lion initiative launched in 2020, the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary as the proposed second home for Asiatic lions, the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and India's posture on biodiversity diplomacy ahead of the CBD COP processes. It is exam-relevant for environment, geography of Gujarat, GS-III (Conservation), and SSC general awareness on big-cat protected areas.
At a Glance
- Event
- 'Lion' Species Spotlight Programme launched at Sasan Gir, Gujarat.
- Launched by
- Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, 14 May 2026.
- Anchor summit
- 1st IBCA Summit, New Delhi, 1-2 June 2026; chaired by PM Narendra Modi.
- Theme
- 'Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem'.
- IBCA covers 7 species
- Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, Puma.
- India hosts 5 of those 7 big cats — only Jaguar and Puma absent.
- Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) population
- 891 in 2025 (vs 674 in 2020) — a 32% rise.
- Project Lion launched 2020; Barda Wildlife Sanctuary identified as second lion home.
- Expected attendance
- 95 countries and 400+ delegates.
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) — what it is and why it matters
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 April 2023 at the commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger at Mysuru. It was conceived as a multi-country, treaty-based alliance for the conservation of seven big cat species: Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma. The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the IBCA as an inter-governmental organisation in February 2024 with a one-time budgetary support of approximately ₹150 crore for five years (2023-24 to 2027-28). The headquarters of the IBCA is in India. The alliance focuses on five pillars — knowledge sharing, capacity building, eco-tourism, ecological monitoring, and financing for big-cat conservation across range countries that span Asia, Africa and the Americas. The 1st IBCA Summit on 1-2 June 2026 in New Delhi is its first major heads-of-state level event. The summit's tagline 'Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem' captures the idea that apex predators are indicators of ecosystem integrity and that their conservation is linked with water, soil, carbon and human well-being.
Asiatic Lion conservation — Gir, numbers and threats
The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica / Panthera leo leo) survives in the wild only in the Greater Gir Landscape of Gujarat — comprising Gir National Park, Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary and the surrounding revenue/forest landscape. From a historical low of about 20 lions in the early 20th century, the population recovered to 523 in 2015, 674 in 2020, and 891 in 2025 — a 32% increase over the 2020 count. The Gir landscape covers parts of Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts. Major threats include: (i) single-population vulnerability to epizootic disease (e.g., the 2018 canine distemper outbreak that killed multiple lions), (ii) prey-base pressure, (iii) railway and road kills, and (iv) human-wildlife conflict in the periphery. The species is listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, Appendix I of CITES, and is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Project Lion (2020) and Barda Wildlife Sanctuary — the second-home strategy
Project Lion was announced by Prime Minister Modi on 15 August 2020 as a long-term Asiatic lion conservation programme, modelled on the success of Project Tiger and Project Elephant. Its objectives include: habitat improvement and expansion, disease control and wildlife health security, strengthening of the gene pool, eco-tourism promotion, and community-based ecological resilience. The flagship vision document, 'Project Lion: Lion @ 47 — Vision for Amrutkal', identified the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (located near Porbandar, about 100 km from Gir National Park) as the second home for Asiatic lions, based on assessments by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) that the Barda-Alech hills and coastal forests can accommodate around 40 adult and sub-adult lions via natural dispersal. As per the 2023 census, Barda already hosts 17 Asiatic lions (including cubs) and 25 leopards. The second-home strategy is essential because reliance on a single population at Gir leaves the species exposed to a single catastrophic event.
Legal protection framework for big cats in India
All five big cats native to India — tiger, Asiatic lion, leopard, snow leopard, and the (reintroduced) cheetah — are listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (the highest level of protection, with the most stringent penalties for poaching/illegal trade). India is a Party to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 1973), where lions, tigers and snow leopards are on Appendix I, prohibiting commercial international trade. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 restructured the Schedules (reducing from six schedules to four), aligned penalties with CITES and updated the protection regime. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the WLPA is the apex body for tiger conservation; for lion and other big cats, the MoEFCC and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) at Dehradun are the principal central agencies.
Must Remember
- •Lion Species Spotlight Programme launched at Sasan Gir, Gujarat by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav as a pre-event to IBCA Summit 2026.
- •International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026 — to be held in New Delhi on 1-2 June 2026, chaired by PM Narendra Modi.
- •IBCA covers 7 big cat species: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, Puma.
- •India is home to 5 of these 7 big cat species: Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah.
- •Summit theme: 'Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem'.
- •Expected participation: 95 countries and over 400 delegates.
- •Asiatic lion population in Greater Gir Landscape: 891 in 2025, a 32% increase over 2020 (when the count was 674).
- •Project Lion was launched in 2020 by the Government of India for long-term Asiatic lion conservation.
- •Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (Gujarat, near Porbandar) has been identified as the second home for Asiatic lions under Project Lion.
- •Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) is listed as Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and Appendix I of CITES; IUCN status: Endangered.
Static GK
- •: IBCA — announced by PM Modi on 9 April 2023 at the 50-year commemoration of Project Tiger at Mysuru.
- •: IBCA — Cabinet approval February 2024; one-time budgetary support of ₹150 crore for 2023-24 to 2027-28.
- •Project Tiger launched: 1973 (under PM Indira Gandhi).
- •Project Elephant launched: 1992.
- •Project Lion launched: 2020 (PM Narendra Modi).
- •Project Cheetah launched: 2022 (cheetah reintroduction at Kuno National Park, MP).
- •Gir National Park established: 1965; Gir Wildlife Sanctuary: 1965; declared National Park status in 1975.
- •: Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 — central law for wildlife protection; amended in 2022 reducing schedules from 6 to 4.
- •: India is a Party to CITES since 1976.
- •: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) — statutory body under WLPA, 1972, set up via 2006 amendment.
Glossary
- IBCA
- International Big Cat Alliance — India-led inter-governmental alliance announced by PM Modi in April 2023 and approved by Cabinet in February 2024 for conservation of seven big cat species (Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, Puma).
- Project Lion
- Government of India initiative announced on 15 August 2020 for the long-term conservation of Asiatic lions through habitat expansion, disease control and community-based conservation; aligned with the 'Lion @ 47 Vision for Amrutkal' document.
- Asiatic lion
- Panthera leo persica — sub-species (also classified as P. leo leo) of lion whose only wild population in India survives in the Greater Gir Landscape of Gujarat; population 891 (2025).
- Barda Wildlife Sanctuary
- Protected area in Gujarat near Porbandar identified by the Wildlife Institute of India as the second home for Asiatic lions under Project Lion; current population (as of 2023 census): 17 lions, 25 leopards.
- Schedule I of WLPA, 1972
- The highest-protection schedule of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, providing the most stringent penalties for hunting/trade in listed species; Asiatic lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah are all on Schedule I.
- CITES
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973) — multilateral treaty regulating international trade in listed species; India is a Party since 1976.
- Greater Gir Landscape
- Mosaic of Gir National Park, Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Pania and Mitiyala Sanctuaries, and surrounding revenue/forest areas in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat where the Asiatic lion population is concentrated.
- Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
- Autonomous research institute under MoEFCC, located in Dehradun; conducts the lion census and prepared the assessment of Barda as a second home for Asiatic lions.
Timeline
- 1965Gir National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary established in Junagadh, Gujarat.
- 1972Wild Life (Protection) Act enacted; Asiatic lion listed on Schedule I.
- 1973Project Tiger launched — laying the template for big-cat-specific conservation programmes.
- 2013Supreme Court orders translocation of some Asiatic lions to Kuno (MP) as a second home.
- 2015Asiatic lion population at 523.
- 2020 (15 Aug)PM Modi announces Project Lion in his Independence Day address; lion count rises to 674.
- 2022Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act passed; Cheetah reintroduction begins at Kuno NP.
- 2023 (9 Apr)PM Modi announces IBCA at the 50-year commemoration of Project Tiger at Mysuru.
- 2024 (Feb)Union Cabinet approves IBCA as inter-governmental organisation, HQ in India.
- 2025Asiatic lion population rises to 891 — a 32% increase over 2020.
- 2026 (14 May)Bhupender Yadav launches 'Lion' Species Spotlight Programme at Sasan Gir as a pre-event to the IBCA Summit.
- 2026 (1-2 Jun)1st IBCA Summit in New Delhi, chaired by PM Modi.
- →IBCA = 7 big cats (Tiger-Lion-Leopard-Snow Leopard-Cheetah-Jaguar-Puma); India has 5 (no Jaguar, no Puma).
- →Asiatic lion count: 523 (2015) → 674 (2020) → 891 (2025), 32% rise in last five years.
- →Project Tiger 1973, Project Elephant 1992, Project Lion 2020, Project Cheetah 2022.
- →Barda Wildlife Sanctuary = second home for Asiatic lions; located near Porbandar, ~100 km from Gir.
- →WLPA, 1972 — Schedule I = highest protection. Amendment Act, 2022 reduced 6 schedules → 4.
Exam Angles
IBCA = 7 big cats (Tiger-Lion-Leopard-Snow Leopard-Cheetah-Jaguar-Puma); India has 5 (no Jaguar, no Puma).
India's apex-predator conservation model, anchored in Project Tiger (1973) and now extended to Project Lion (2020) and Project Cheetah (2022), has become the basis of India's biodiversity diplomacy through the IBCA. The first IBCA Summit on 1-2 June 2026 in New Delhi positions India as the convening authority for big-cat range states and links domestic conservation outcomes — such as the 891-strong Asiatic lion population in 2025 — to global policy on biodiversity, climate and indigenous community rights.
Mains Q · 250wExamine how the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) leverages India's domestic conservation experience to shape global biodiversity governance. Identify the main domestic and external challenges before the IBCA Summit, 2026. (250 words, 15 marks)
Flashcard
Q · Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the 'Lion' Species Spotlight Programme at Sasan Gir (Gujarat) on 14 May 2026 as a pre-event to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026tap to reveal
Connections & Comparisons
- ↔Connects with Project Tiger (1973), Project Elephant (1992), Project Cheetah (2022) — India's species-specific conservation programmes.
- ↔Tied to CITES (1973) and Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) — India is a Party to both.
- ↔Links to Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (CBD COP-15, 2022) — including the 30x30 target (30% of land/oceans under protection by 2030).
- ↔Related to Forest Rights Act, 2006 in the context of Maldhari communities inside Gir.
- ↔Builds on Project Cheetah, Kuno National Park (MP) — the parallel 'big cat' return story.
- ↔Tied to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, the apex research body for big-cat census and habitat assessment.