"It is an honour to be at the award giving ceremony recognising the efforts of our brave men and women who have dedicated their lives for the conservation of forests and wildlife", said Union MoS (Environment, Forest and Climate Change), Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, in Abu Dhabi on 11th October, 2025.
He was participating in the 'Recognition Ceremony of Forest Rangers', on the sidelines of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025. These are the people who ensure that the country's rich wildlife heritage is preserved for generations to come, he stated, while releasing the report ‘Guardians of the Wild’.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Singh noted that Countries around the world have enacted comprehensive legislations and policy frameworks for the protection of our forests and wildlife. But it is the forest rangers and support staff who work on the ground to ensure that these policies, rules and regulations are implemented in true spirit.
The work they do encompasses a wide variety of activities including patrolling, wildlife enumeration, fighting forest fires etc. They face enormous threat to life from poachers and timber smugglers, as many of them have laid down their lives in the line of duty for the cause of protecting forests and wildlife, he said.
The Minister saluted the dedication of forest guards and support staff, as well as congratulated IUCN and WTI for giving this recognition and acknowledging their valuable service. Shri Singh recounted various interactions with forest staff since his childhood and cherished the indigenous knowledge and traditional wisdom shared by them regarding our forests and wildlife.
Governments should acknowledge and document this wealth of knowledge that the frontline staff possesses. In India, the Men and Women guarding our forests are honoured with the terms - Vanrakshaks and Vanrakshikas, he informed.
Shri Singh took this opportunity to assure the frontline forest staff with all the Government support they require to fulfill their needs. He informed how the Government of India regularly takes capacity building initiatives, deploys technological aids including forest surveillance through drones, satellite tracking and radio collaring of animals.
These steps ensure that the ground staff are well-equipped with the latest technology and are always prepared to not only protect forests and wildlife from illegal activities but prevent human-wildlife conflicts as well, he concluded.