Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav, who chairs the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Society, chaired the Society's 28th meeting at the Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFOS), Coimbatore. This was the first meeting held after the Society's recent reconstitution for a three-year term, following the end of the previous nominated members' tenure in April this year.
Addressing the Society, Yadav stressed the important role of scientific research in conserving India's biological heritage. He called for fully aligning WII's research, training and policy-support frameworks with the 'Viksit Bharat @2047' national blueprint. He said the institute's roadmap should prioritise resolving human-wildlife conflict, technology-based wildlife management, and capacity building to meet the country's challenging wildlife management needs.
During the meeting, WII Director and Society Member-Secretary Dr G.S. Bharadwaj presented details of the institute's achievements since its establishment, along with an assessment of its current institutional priorities. He also presented an action-taken report on decisions from the previous meeting.
New nominated and ex-officio members participated actively in the meeting, including Member of Parliament Atul Garg and Gujarat's Minister of State for Forest and Environment, Praveen Mali. Senior ministry officials, eminent non-official scientists, academics, conservationists, and representatives of states from the north-eastern, eastern, western, southern, northern and central regions of India also attended.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks, setting a robust agenda of scientific goals for this key institute for the next three years.