On World Rhino Day, 22 September 2026, Prime Minister announced the initiation of Project Rhino, a dedicated initiative to provide financial and technical support to rhino-range states for conserving the greater one-horned rhinoceros. The initiative will focus on protection, habitat management, genetic improvement and scientific understanding of population trends. 

What is Project Rhino?

Project Rhino is a national species-conservation initiative aimed at strengthening coordinated conservation of the greater one-horned rhinoceros across its Indian range.

• The initiative will provide financial and technical assistance to states that host rhino populations.
• It will strengthen anti-poaching measures and wildlife protection, particularly in important rhino habitats.
• It will promote habitat management, including the restoration and improvement of grasslands, wetlands and movement routes required by rhinos.
• It will support genetic monitoring to understand genetic diversity, reduce risks associated with inbreeding and maintain healthy populations.
• It will encourage scientific monitoring of population dynamics, including changes in population size, reproduction, mortality and distribution. 

Why is Assam important?

Assam is the global stronghold of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, holding nearly 80% of the world’s population, according to the Prime Minister. Kaziranga National Park has received particular recognition for its anti-poaching efforts.)

India’s rhino conservation story has also expanded beyond Assam.

• West Bengal and Bihar continue to protect rhino populations.
• Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh has undertaken a successful rhino reintroduction programme, helping expand the species’ range. 

Conservation significance

The greater one-horned rhinoceros has recovered substantially in India because of protected-area management, anti-poaching operations, habitat protection and community participation. The species is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN of Nature Red List. 

However, conservation cannot focus only on increasing numbers. As populations grow, maintaining adequate habitat, genetic diversity and connectivity between suitable habitats becomes increasingly important.

Link with Existing Conservation Frameworks

• Project Rhino adds to India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 under Schedule I of the Act, providing it with the highest level of legal protection.
• Indian rhino vision 2020 implemented by the department of environment and forests, Assam.
  • The programme will be supported by WWF — India, the international rhino foundation (IRF), and a number of local NGOs.
  • Translocations are the backbone of the IRV 2020 program.
  • Manas National Park was selected as the first site for translocation of rhinos.
• At the international level, the species is listed in Appendix I of the CITES of Wild Fauna and Flora, which provides strict controls over international commercial trade in the species and its parts.

One-line wrap: Project Rhino seeks to strengthen India’s greater one-horned rhinoceros conservation through financial and technical support for protection, habitat management, genetic diversity and scientific population monitoring, with Assam remaining the species’ principal global stronghold.