Gaj Gaurav Awards 2026 Conferred for Elephant Conservation

The Gaj Gaurav Awards 2026 were conferred on 13 August 2026 during the national celebrations of World Elephant Day in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The ceremony was hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and recognised frontline contributions to elephant conservation and management in India.

Gaj Gaurav Awards

The Gaj Gaurav Awards are national honours linked to elephant conservation and management. The 2026 awards were presented by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, at the World Elephant Day event.

Frontline Conservation Work

Seven mahouts from Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal received the 2026 award for flood-rescue work. Bikash Kharia and Rajiv Oraon protected six stranded captive elephants during severe floods, while Ajibul Haque, Ajit Gabur, Momtaz Alam, Amasur Kharia, and Dilip Munda guided 13 displaced wild rhinoceroses to safety.

Project Elephant and Regional Action Plan

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the document titled “30 Giant Steps”, which listed 30 achievements and policy initiatives under Project Elephant from 2020 to 2026. A Regional Action Plan for Comprehensive Understanding and Management of Human–Elephant Conflict in Southern India was also launched for Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, with a financial commitment of ₹500 crores from the Government of India.

Important Facts for Exams

• World Elephant Day is observed on 12 August every year and focuses on elephant conservation and protection.
• Project Elephant is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India for elephant conservation and habitat protection.
• Jaldapara National Park is located in West Bengal and is known for its population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses and elephants.
• Human–elephant conflict is a major conservation issue in several Indian states, including Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

H.A.N.U.M.A.N. Initiative

Konidala Pawan Kalyan, Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, attended the ceremony as Guest of Honour and introduced the state’s technology-driven H.A.N.U.M.A.N. wildlife monitoring initiative. The initiative is associated with wildlife monitoring and conflict management in Andhra Pradesh.