Project Great Indian Bustard is an important example of India’s wildlife-conservation efforts. The hatching of two new chicks at the Conservation Breeding Centre in Rajasthan is a major milestone for the programme. One chick was born through natural mating and the other through artificial insemination, taking the captive Great Indian Bustard population to 70. Fewer than 150-200 Great Indian Bustards survive in the wild, mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and the population has declined by more than 80% since 1982. For exams, the case works as a current example of endangered-species conservation, biodiversity, and the use of science and technology in conservation.

The Great Indian Bustard is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its decline is linked with habitat loss from agricultural expansion and infrastructure development, collision with overhead power lines, hunting, and disturbance at breeding grounds. Artificial insemination matters because the wild population is very small and scattered; captive breeding can help build a safer population and maintain genetic diversity. The expected soft release of some captive-bred chicks this year also shows the next difficult phase of conservation.

The same Rajasthan-linked update also notes the foundation stone of the Right to Information Museum in Beawar. Beawar is associated with the birthplace of the RTI movement, so this fact is relevant for governance reform, transparency, accountability, and citizen rights. For RAS and UPSC preparation, read the topic in two parts: the environmental and technological side of Great Indian Bustard conservation, and the governance angle linked with Beawar and the Right to Information movement.