NewzVille Desk
Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, today inaugurated the ‘Lion’ Species Spotlight Event at Sasan Gir, Gujarat. The programme was organised as part of the series of Pre-Summit Species Events under the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026.
The event was presided over by Chief Minister (Gujarat), Bhupendra Patel, through virtual medium. Other dignitaries gracing the occasion included Gujarat State Forest Minister, Arjun Modhwadia, Minister of State for Forest (Gujarat), Pravin Mali, besides senior officials from IBCA, Union and State Governments.
Addressing the gathering, Minisyer Yadav informed that India will host the first-ever IBCA Summit 2026 in New Delhi on June 1–2, 2026, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, followed by technical sessions on June 1–2.
He said the summit with tagline — Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem — would bring together Heads of State and Government, Ministers, policymakers, scientists, conservation practitioners, multilateral agencies, financial institutions, partner organisations and 400 representatives from 95 range countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas.
IBCA serves as a global coalition dedicated to the conservation of seven iconic Big Cat species — Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma — through collaborative international action and strengthened scientific and technical cooperation.


