At a time when tiger population is on the wane all over the country, the Asiatic lion count in its last natural habitat — the Gir jungles in Gujarat — has increased substantially.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi proudly announced on Sunday that the lion population in the Gir National Park and its surrounding areas has touched 411, a significant rise from the 359 in 2005.
Compared to 205 in 1979, the Asiatic lion population in Gir has doubled in 30 years to reach 411 in 2010, Modi said, commenting that it was Gujarat’s gift to the global community struggling to find ways and means to effectively conserve wildlife.
The lion census, called ‘population estimation’ by forest officials, is conducted every five years to assess the efficacy of the various conservation measures taken in the 1,412-sq-km protected area and adjoining places. This census was conducted in two phases, on April 24-25 and April 26-27.
Modi said the lion population had registered a growth of 13 per cent while, in the earlier census years, the rates of growth were only 5 per cent to 7 per cent.
Not only have the big cat numbers increased, certain other parameters have also shown positive trends that assure growth in numbers of the lions in future too. Nearly 40 per cent of the 411 big cats are in the ‘sub-adult’ category, equivalent of youth in humans.
“Just like India’s population, of which 40 per cent is youth,” quipped a quick-witted Modi.
Commenting upon the sex ratio of 162 females for 97 males among the adult lions in Gir, the Chief Minister remarked “human society can learn from the great pride of Gir lions”. Modi’s reference was to the skewed sex ratio in many parts of the country due to rampant female foeticide. The male-female sex ratio of 1:1.6 among the 259 adults and the 75 sub-adults soon to reach reproductive age are definite signals of further scope for population increase in the future, pointed out a Forest Department official.
Of the 411 Asiatic lions counted this time, 297 were inside the designated Gir National Park and adjoining areas while others were found in the neighbouring places of Girnar, Mitiyala and Paniya as well as in the coastal areas of Una, Kodinar, Sutrapada and Chhara. As many as 53 Asiatic lions have made their new habitat in far-off places like Savarkundla and Liliya in Amreli district and also in Bhavnagar.
Modi said lions had settled down peacefully far outside the sanctuary areas. It was a good sign of success of the conservation efforts, he added.
The Chief Minister attributed the rise in lion population to cooperation of the Maldharis, pastoral people who live in harmony with the big cats. The local Maldharis do not mind their cattle being occasionally killed by lions and are happy with a modest compensation, Modi said in praise of the pastoral people whose rehabilitation outside the national park had remained a contentious issue for long.
Another factor contributing to the rise in lion numbers was construction of parapet walls around village wells, which often proved to be death traps for cubs. “On an average, 10 cubs were lost every year after falling into wells, but erecting walls around these reduced such deaths to just one during the last year,” the Chief Minister added.
The incidents of adult males killing the cubs have also reduced due to the increase in female population, Modi said. In this regard, he quoted foresters who were witness to incidents of many lionesses teaming up to protect the young from the fury of angry lions.
Participants of Viksit Vibrant Village Programme share their experiences with PM Modi
July 26, 2026
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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today interacted virtually with participants of the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026, during which young MYBharat Volunteers shared their experiences from border villages in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh. The interaction highlighted the transformation of these villages through improved infrastructure, connectivity and public services, along with women-led development, tourism, community participation and stronger national integration. More than 5,000 MYBharat Volunteers from 245 districts across the country joined the programme virtually.
Introducing the programme, MYBharat Volunteer Shri Divyansh Joshi from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu outlined initiatives including the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament, Budget Twist, mentorship and volunteering programmes. He said more than 2.30 crore young people had benefitted from MYBharat initiatives, while 2.86 lakh youth participated in the nationwide quiz through which 403 volunteers were selected to visit border villages. Recounting his visit to Leo village in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, he highlighted interactions with residents, senior citizens and schoolchildren, career counselling for local youth, sports and cultural activities, the leadership of the woman Sarpanch and the functioning of the Ayushman Arogya Mandir. He said his homestay experience showed that belonging transcends language and State boundaries, adding that the volunteers paid homage to the country’s brave soldiers at the Kargil War Memorial and would compile their experiences for submission to the Prime Minister while remaining committed to the vision of Viksit Bharat.
MYBharat Volunteer Ms Nikita Pravin Solanki from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu said her selection through the MYBharat quiz enabled her first independent journey to Dhar Chango Nichla village in Kinnaur district. The affectionate welcome extended by the villagers strengthened her confidence and reflected changing societal attitudes towards women. Through her interactions with the woman Pradhan, Panchayat representatives, farmers, senior citizens and children, she witnessed the multiple responsibilities shouldered by rural women and found, contrary to her earlier perceptions, quality roads, regular electricity, drinking-water connections and digital connectivity, which residents attributed to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and Ayushman Bharat. She also participated in cleanliness, sports and cultural activities, recalled the curiosity of village children about her home region and said she continued to remain in touch with her host family.
Recalling his Diwali visit to the Chango region in 2016, the Prime Minister said Ms Solanki’s journey reflected the growing confidence of India’s daughters and that MYBharat had transformed individual journeys into one national family. “Solo travelling is a way of discovering the world while discovering yourself,” observed Shri Modi.
MYBharat Volunteer Shri Sunil Kumar Kela from Jalore, Rajasthan, said that being from a border village himself enabled him to connect readily with the people of Dhar Chango Uprela village in Himachal Pradesh. Despite geographical and climatic differences, he found the people of both regions united by courage, patriotism and warmth. He remained connected with his family through video calls, showing them the Sutlej River, school, Jan Aushadhi Kendra, hospital and sports facilities, while his social-media posts encouraged friends to explore MYBharat. His initial apprehensions regarding roads, accommodation, electricity and mobile connectivity were dispelled by the high-quality roads reaching the homestay, solar-energy installations and improved infrastructure that had transformed daily life. He added that he remained in contact with his host family and had invited them to visit Rajasthan.
The Prime Minister observed that young people from border villages across Rajasthan, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the North-East shared a common outlook and that border residents, though geographically distant, remained emotionally deeply connected with the nation. “Those who were last in priority earlier are now the first,” remarked Shri Modi.
MYBharat Volunteer Ms Bhavya Shri from Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh said her desire to learn beyond academics led her to MYBharat and to Harsil Valley in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Her initial concerns about the unfamiliar climate, food, culture and lifestyle were dispelled by the hospitality of local residents and officials, while interactions with Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel deepened her appreciation of their discipline, humility, dedication and commitment to the nation. She said participants from different States, languages and cultures arrived as strangers but returned as one family, reflecting the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat. Photographs of the Nelang and Jadung Valleys and apple orchards generated considerable interest among her friends, many of whom subsequently registered on MYBharat. She also recalled the equipment provided to help participants adapt to the cold climate, the resilience of a resident who chose to remain in his landslide-affected native village despite hardship, and the peaceful, meditative character of the Garhwali dance in contrast with the energetic folk dances of her home State.
Recalling his visit to Mukhwa village in Uttarakhand, the Prime Minister said the interaction reaffirmed his belief that India’s youth place the nation first. “The manner in which all of you have lived the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat will inspire many more young people,” observed Shri Modi.
Twenty-one-year-old MYBharat Volunteer Ms Sayantika Mistry from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands thanked the Prime Minister for envisioning MYBharat as a platform enabling crores of young people to contribute to nation-building. Recounting her journey from sea level to Maan village in Ladakh at an altitude of nearly 17,000 feet, she described suffering from acute mountain sickness and the care extended by the MYBharat team and ITBP personnel, including doctors who prioritised treating her as their guest before attending to their own personnel. She said the experience showed that ITBP personnel not only protected the borders but also cared deeply for citizens and made her appreciate the resilience required to live in high-altitude conditions. Contrary to her family’s expectation of poor connectivity, she found reliable internet, QR-code and UPI payment facilities and Wi-Fi in the border region. She also interacted with local children, one of whom expressed a desire to visit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and highlighted the community spirit through which residents collectively organised weddings and monastery events, restored a damaged mobile tower and constructed a storage facility for its batteries.
Encouraging Ms Mistry to document her experience through articles or a book so that others could better understand the country’s vastness, people and shared sense of belonging, Shri Modi remarked, “When you share joy, it multiplies.”
MYBharat Volunteer Shri Ashish Soni from Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh, who is preparing for the Civil Services Examination, thanked the Prime Minister for enabling young people to contribute suggestions during the Budget-making process. Sharing his experience of Kaza Khas in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti region, he said his parents, who remembered a time when mobile connectivity in remote areas was difficult, were astonished when he video-called them from nearly 14,000 feet. Describing MYBharat as a bridge between a generation that had witnessed struggle and another witnessing transformation, he recounted writing letters from the world’s highest post office at Hikkim to the Prime Minister, his family, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Defence Minister and his District Magistrate. He said India was connected not only through metros and airports but also through institutions serving its remotest regions and highlighted QR-code payments at around 14,500 feet as evidence that Digital India had become a source of trust across the country. His interactions with women’s self-help groups introduced him to entrepreneurship through homestays, digital platforms and sea buckthorn-based products, while discussions on the PM MUDRA Yojana and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana focused on expanding livelihood opportunities. He also highlighted the role of the Border Roads Organisation-built Chicham Bridge in improving connectivity, tourism and economic activity, besides noting the region’s potential for night tourism.
Observing that technology had reached every corner of the country and that purchasing local products would generate employment, support livelihoods and carry regional identities across India, Shri Modi urged, “Wherever you travel, spend at least five per cent of your travel budget on buying products from local people.”
Concluding the interaction, the Prime Minister extended his best wishes to the young participants. The programme highlighted MYBharat’s role in enabling young people to experience first-hand the transformation of India’s border villages, dispel outdated perceptions and deepen their understanding of the country’s cultural diversity, developmental progress, community participation and the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.
