• ¨     Gaj Gaurav Awards 2026 were presented on 13 August 2026 during the national celebration of World Elephant Day in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

    ¨     The ceremony was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

    ¨     The awards recognise frontline contributions to elephant conservation and management in India.

    ¨     The 2026 awards were presented by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

    ¨     Seven mahouts from Jaldapara National Park, West Bengal, received the Gaj Gaurav Awards for their contribution to flood-rescue operations.

    ¨     Bikash Kharia and Rajiv Oraon rescued and protected six stranded captive elephants during severe floods.

    ¨     Ajibul Haque, Ajit Gabur, Momtaz Alam, Amasur Kharia and Dilip Munda helped guide 13 displaced wild rhinoceroses to safety.

    ¨     The Ministry released a document titled “30 Giant Steps”, highlighting 30 achievements and policy initiatives under Project Elephant between 2020 and 2026.

    ¨     A Regional Action Plan for Comprehensive Understanding and Management of Human–Elephant Conflict in Southern India was also launched.

    ¨     The Regional Action Plan covers Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

    ¨     The Government of India has committed ₹500 crore for implementing the regional action plan.