India harbours nearly 7 to 8 per cent of world’s recorded species: Bhupender Yadav

Kolkata:- The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) today celebrated its 111th Foundation Day with the inauguration of the three-day Animal Taxonomy Summit (ATS) 2026 in Kolkata, reaffirming the country’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, scientific research and sustainable development.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the summit, which is being held from 30th June to 2nd July.

The inaugural function was attended by West Bengal Finance Minister Dr Swapan Dasgupta, West Bengal Forest and Environment Minister Manoj Oraon, ZSI Director Dr Dhriti Banerjee, along with scientists, academicians, researchers and students from across the country.

Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister said, “Documenting India’s faunal diversity is fundamental to conservation. Species cannot be protected unless they are scientifically identified and documented.”

He said the Zoological Survey of India has remained the cornerstone of animal taxonomy, faunal exploration and biodiversity conservation for more than a century, providing the scientific foundation for evidence-based conservation and sustainable development.

Mr Yadav said that although India occupies only 2.4 per cent of the world’s land area, it harbours nearly 7 to 8 per cent of the world’s recorded species, making it one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries.

He added that under the leadership of PM Modi, environmental governance has evolved from a regulatory framework to a proactive development model integrating conservation with economic progress through initiatives such as Mission LiFE, the Green Credit Programme, the International Solar Alliance, the International Big Cat Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

Highlighting India’s conservation achievements, the Minister said the number of Tiger Reserves has increased from 47 to 58 since 2014, the Asiatic Lion population has risen from 523 to 891, and the number of Ramsar Sites has expanded from 24 to 100.

He also said the successful tiger reintroduction programme at Sariska Tiger Reserve has increased the tiger population there from zero in 2008 to 56, and the Government is exploring scientifically planned tiger reintroduction in suitable landscapes of West Bengal.

During the celebrations, the Union Minister released the flagship publications Animal Discoveries-2025 and Plant Discoveries-2025. According to Animal Discoveries-2025, India recorded 483 species new to science and 226 species for the first time in the country, adding 709 new faunal records to the national biodiversity database.

With these additions, India’s documented faunal diversity has reached one lakh five thousand 953 species. Kerala recorded the highest number of new species, followed by West Bengal, Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Minister also launched Version 3.0 of the ‘Fauna of India Checklist‘ and the ‘PaleoIndia Portal‘, a digital platform documenting fossil fauna across all States and Union Territories.

Developed jointly by ZSI and the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, the portal currently hosts information on more than five thousand fossil specimens and is expected to strengthen scientific research, field documentation and citizen participation in biodiversity conservation.