World Elephant Day 2026 national celebrations at Visakhapatnam; Gaj Gaurav Awards conferred
The national celebrations of World Elephant Day 2026 were held at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, where MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh conferred the Gaj Gaurav Awards 2026 and released a regional plan on human–elephant conflict in southern India, the Environment Ministry said on 13 August 2026.
Summary
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change held the national celebrations of World Elephant Day 2026 at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, presided over by Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh with Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan as Guest of Honour, according to a release of 13 August 2026. Singh said India has 33 Elephant Reserves, 150 scientifically identified elephant corridors and nearly 60% of the world's wild Asian elephant population. He conferred the Gaj Gaurav Awards 2026 for contributions to elephant conservation and chaired the 23rd Steering Committee meeting of Project Elephant. A Regional Action Plan for managing human–elephant conflict in southern India, covering Karnataka, Keralam, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, was released.
Key facts
- Venue
- Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- Elephant Reserves
- 33
- Elephant corridors
- 150 scientifically identified
- India's share
- ~60% of world's wild Asian elephants
- Awards
- Gaj Gaurav Awards 2026
- Also
- 23rd Steering Committee of Project Elephant; southern HEC regional action plan
Practice MCQs 3 questions
Where were the national celebrations of World Elephant Day 2026 held?
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Correct answer: D — Visakhapatnam
The national celebrations were held at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, where the Gaj Gaurav Awards 2026 were conferred.
According to the Environment Ministry in August 2026, how many Elephant Reserves does India have?
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Correct answer: C — 33
MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh said India has 33 Elephant Reserves and 150 scientifically identified elephant corridors.
Consider the following statements made at the World Elephant Day 2026 national celebrations: 1. India has nearly 60% of the world's wild Asian elephant population. 2. The Regional Action Plan on human–elephant conflict released at the event covers north-eastern states. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only statement 1 is correct. The Regional Action Plan released covers southern India: Karnataka, Keralam, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.