Written by Shambhavi Pandey
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) will mark its 110th Foundation Day on June 30 with a series of key initiatives, including the signing of two MoUs with the Indian Army and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The MoU with the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School of the Indian Army is aimed at supporting research on edible fauna in the Himalayan region to aid survival training in remote terrains, while the other MoU will be signed with the IUCN to strengthen global partnerships in biodiversity conservation.
Speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday at the Kolkata Press Club, Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director of ZSI, announced the plans for the upcoming celebration at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre. The event will be presided over by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, with top ministry officials in attendance. Banerjee also highlighted the organisation’s upcoming role as host of the Animal Taxonomy Summit 2025, which will bring together over 500 delegates from India and abroad to discuss taxonomy, systematics and faunal conservation from July 1 to 3.
In honour of its 110th year, ZSI has organised a 110-hour national hackathon on biodiversity conservation and climate change. Of the 205 participating teams, five have made it to the grand finale scheduled for June 30. These finalists—from Jabalpur, Jodhpur, Digha, Solan, and Shillong—will compete for cash prizes of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000.
One of the highlights of the Foundation Day will be the release of the second version of the Checklist of Fauna of India, a comprehensive record of over 1,05,000 known animal species compiled by more than 180 scientists. “ZSI is like an organisation that makes Aadhaar cards for different species,” Dr. Banerjee joked, explaining that the list documents when, where, and by whom each species was discovered.
The event will also see the release of ZSI’s flagship publications, Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries, alongside other new volumes. Dr Banerjee credited the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at both the central and state levels for enabling the scientific progress that leads to new discoveries each year. “Being relevant for over a century in a fast-changing world is no small feat,” she said.
The writer is an intern at The Indian Express
