- Why in news
- On 23 September 2026 the PM shared an article by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on the Greater One-Horned Rhino's conservation, calling its recovery remarkable.
- Species and habitat
- The Greater One-Horned Rhino depends on grasslands and wetlands, which the PM called central to its future.
- India's role
- The PM said India is now one of the world's most important custodians of the species because its population keeps growing.
- Scientific name
- The species is Rhinoceros unicornis. It has a single horn and skin folds that look like armour plates.
- Main stronghold
- Kaziranga National Park in Assam holds the largest share of the world's population. Other key sites include Pobitora, Orang and Manas in Assam, Jaldapara in West Bengal and Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh.
- Legal protection
- The species is in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is in CITES Appendix I.
Don’t confuse with Indian rhino vs Javan and Sumatran rhinos: The Indian rhino has one horn and is Vulnerable. The Javan rhino also has one horn but is Critically Endangered and is not found in India. The Sumatran rhino has two horns and is Critically Endangered. African rhinos (black and white) have two horns.
Species and protected areas: 12 Prelims questions since 2013; they test legal status, location and the year of designation.
Why it matters
- India holds most of the world's Greater One-Horned Rhinos, so its protection matters globally.
- Rhinos are an umbrella species, so protecting them also protects grassland and wetland ecosystems.
Problems
- Poaching for horn and loss of grassland habitat to floods, invasive plants and human pressure remain threats.
- Rhinos are concentrated in a few sites, so one disease outbreak or flood could hurt the population badly.
Way forward
- Spread the population by translocating rhinos to new protected areas, as under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 programme.
- Strengthen anti-poaching measures and habitat management, including control of invasive species.
Put in your answer
Indian Rhino Vision 2020: A programme in Assam to raise the rhino population and spread it to more protected areas, including Manas.
- 2019Prelims Q22Which statements on Asiatic lion, double-humped camel, and one-horned rhinoceros being native only to India are correct?
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q7Define wetland, explain Ramsar 'wise use', and cite two Indian Ramsar sites.
- 2023Mains GS3 · Q17Comment on National Wetland Conservation Programme and name Indian Ramsar wetlands.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Species on the syllabus, but the release has no specific figures or status facts. Species are 4% of news-linked Prelims questions.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.