By Vikas Sir, Founder & Senior Faculty – Cosmo Classes | 10 July 2026

The 28th Meeting of the reconstituted Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Society was held on 9 July 2026 at the Central Academy for State Forest Service (CaSFOS) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The meeting was chaired by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, who serves as the President of the WII Society. It was the first meeting held after the Society was reconstituted for a fresh three-year tenure following the expiry of the previous members' terms in April 2026.

The Wildlife Institute of India is an autonomous institution functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Established in 1982, it serves as the country's premier national centre for wildlife research, training and advisory support, and it plays a central role in shaping India's conservation science, protected-area management and wildlife policy. Over the decades WII has trained forest officers, produced landmark ecological studies and provided technical guidance for the conservation of species such as the tiger, the elephant and the Great Indian Bustard.

The reconstituted Society, which functions as the institute's apex governing body, comprises a mix of nominated members and ex-officio members, and it sets the strategic direction of the institute for its three-year term. During the meeting the members deliberated on aligning WII's research, training and policy-support framework with the national long-term development vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047. The roadmap that emerged placed particular emphasis on human-wildlife conflict resolution, technology-driven wildlife management and capacity building of forest and wildlife personnel.

The Director of WII and Member-Secretary of the Society, Dr. G. S. Bhardwaj, presented an overview of the institute's recent achievements and its current priorities, while the meeting also saw participation from Member of Parliament Atul Garg and the Gujarat State Minister for Forest and Environment, Pravin Mali. The Society approved the institute's scientific agenda and goals for the next three years, spanning wildlife research, biodiversity conservation and technical support for wildlife management across the country. Human-wildlife conflict, which the meeting flagged as a priority, is one of India's most pressing conservation challenges and is closely linked to habitat fragmentation, shrinking corridors and changing land-use patterns, making WII's applied research increasingly important for sustainable coexistence.

Exam Facts

▶ The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and was established in 1982.

▶ WII is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

▶ The Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav is the President of the WII Society.

▶ The 28th meeting was held at CaSFOS, Coimbatore on 9 July 2026.

▶ WII's core mandate covers wildlife research, training and advisory support.

▶ Human-wildlife conflict is linked to habitat fragmentation and land-use change.

▶ The roadmap was aligned with the Viksit Bharat @ 2047 vision.

Practice Set (10 Questions)

Q1. The 28th meeting of the WII Society was held at which city?
A. Dehradun
B. Coimbatore
C. Nagpur
D. Bhopal

Show Answer

Answer: B – Coimbatore (at CaSFOS).

Q2. The Wildlife Institute of India is headquartered in:
A. Dehradun
B. New Delhi
C. Chennai
D. Shimla

Show Answer

Answer: A – Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Q3. WII functions as an autonomous body under which ministry?
A. Ministry of Tribal Affairs
B. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
C. Ministry of Agriculture
D. Ministry of Science and Technology

Show Answer

Answer: B – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Q4. Who is the President of the WII Society?
A. The Prime Minister
B. The Union Environment Minister
C. The Director of WII
D. The Chief Wildlife Warden

Show Answer

Answer: B – The Union Environment Minister (Bhupender Yadav).

Q5. The WII Society was reconstituted for a tenure of:
A. One year
B. Two years
C. Three years
D. Five years

Show Answer

Answer: C – Three years.

Q6. In which year was the Wildlife Institute of India established?
A. 1972
B. 1982
C. 1991
D. 2002

Show Answer

Answer: B – 1982.

Q7. The meeting aligned WII's roadmap with which national vision?
A. Digital India
B. Viksit Bharat @ 2047
C. Skill India
D. Startup India

Show Answer

Answer: B – Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

Q8. Which of the following is a major focus flagged at the meeting?
A. Space research
B. Human-wildlife conflict resolution
C. Highway construction
D. Tax reform

Show Answer

Answer: B – Human-wildlife conflict resolution.

Q9. Who is the Director of WII and Member-Secretary of the Society?
A. Atul Garg
B. Pravin Mali
C. Dr. G. S. Bhardwaj
D. Bhupender Yadav

Show Answer

Answer: C – Dr. G. S. Bhardwaj.

Q10. Human-wildlife conflict in India is most closely linked to:
A. Habitat fragmentation and land-use change
B. Currency fluctuation
C. Foreign trade
D. Urban air pollution only

Show Answer

Answer: A – Habitat fragmentation and land-use change.

UPSC / RPSC Relevance

  • UPSC Prelims: Environment & Ecology and Current Affairs (institutions, conservation bodies).
  • UPSC Mains – GS Paper III: Conservation, environment, biodiversity — wildlife management and institutional framework.
  • RPSC (RAS) Prelims & Mains: Environment & Ecology and current affairs of national importance — conservation institutions and human-wildlife conflict.

UPSC Mains Descriptive Question

Q. Discuss the role of institutions such as the Wildlife Institute of India in strengthening biodiversity conservation and mitigating human-wildlife conflict in the country. (250 words, 15 marks)

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