President Droupadi Murmu Visits Kuno National Park

Source: News on Air

Context

President Droupadi Murmu visited Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh, on 21–22 June 2026, where she toured the Cheetah Management Area, visited the Cheetah Command and Control Centre, viewed an exhibition on Project Cheetah, went on a safari, and interacted with members of the Sahariya tribal community, Cheetah Mitras (Cheetah Friends), cheetah trackers, tourist guides, and the Kuno field team. The President was briefed on the progress of Project Cheetah — India’s flagship initiative launched on 17 September 2022 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) — to reintroduce the cheetah in India after its local extinction in 1952. India currently hosts about 52–57 cheetahs, with ~49 at Kuno and 3 relocated to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. The visit had special significance because the President had personally witnessed the symbolic handover of eight cheetahs by Botswana during her state visit to Botswana in November 2025; those cheetahs were brought to Kuno in February 2026, marking the third international batch after Namibia (September 2022) and South Africa (February 2023). Kuno was originally developed in the 1990s as an alternative habitat for Asiatic lions (Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project) and has a rich history dating back to 1564 when Mughal Emperor Akbar captured a herd of elephants in the nearby Shivpuri forests. The President was accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel and District In-charge Minister Rakesh Shukla during the visit, which marked the culmination of her five-day Madhya Pradesh tour.

The Visit

• Visitor: President Droupadi Murmu.
• Venue: Kuno National Park (KNP), Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh.
• Accompanied by: Governor Mangubhai Patel, Minister Rakesh Shukla.
• Activities: Toured Cheetah Management Area, Cheetah Command and Control Centre, viewed exhibition, went on safari, interacted with Sahariya tribe, Cheetah Mitras, trackers, guides.

Kuno National Park (KNP)

• What: A highly significant protected area serving as India’s first and primary cheetah reintroduction site under Project Cheetah; established as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1981; upgraded to National Park in 2018; originally developed in the 1990s as an alternative habitat for Asiatic lions; covers a leaf-shaped landscape of dry deciduous forests centered on the Kuno River; rich grasslands and savanna habitat ideal for fast-moving predators like cheetahs.
• Where: Situated in Sheopur district (Narnaud tehsil), Madhya Pradesh, roughly 150 km northwest of New Delhi; core National Park area of 748 sq km within the larger 1,235 sq km Kuno Wildlife Division; lies in the Vindhyan Hills of Central India; part of the Sheopur-Shivpuri deciduous open forest landscape.

Project Cheetah

• What: India’s flagship inter-continental conservation programme launched on 17 September 2022 by PM Narendra Modi on his 72nd birthday; aims to reintroduce the cheetah in India after the last one died in 1947 in Korea district (now Chhattisgarh) and officially declared extinct in 1952; the world’s first inter-continental cheetah translocation; target: establish a viable cheetah metapopulation in India that allows the cheetah to perform its functional role as a top predator.
• Where: Implemented at Kuno National Park (primary site) and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (secondary site) in Madhya Pradesh; under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC); managed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Cheetah Species

• Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus.
• Status: World’s fastest land animal (up to 100 km/h).
• Conservation Status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List); CITES Appendix I.
• Adaptations: Slim body, long legs, large nasal cavity, semi-retractable claws.
• Habitat: Dry forests, grasslands, open plains, deserts.
• Water needs: Low (can survive in dry regions).
• Subspecies: African Cheetah (now in India), Asiatic Cheetah (critically endangered, ~20 left in Iran).

Sahariya Tribe

• What: One of the most vulnerable Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in central India; scheduled tribe in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan; historically inhabit the Sheopur, Shivpuri, Guna belt; key stakeholders in Project Cheetah as Cheetah Mitras.
• Where: Concentrated in Sheopur, Shivpuri, Guna, Morena districts of Madhya Pradesh and Baran district of Rajasthan.

Cheetah Mitras

• What: Trained volunteers (many from the Sahariya tribe) who serve as community ambassadors for cheetah conservation; sensitise local villagers about cheetah behaviour, importance of co-existence, and conservation needs; play a key role in reducing human-wildlife conflict.
• Where: Operate in villages around Kuno National Park, Sheopur district and adjoining areas.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• What: A statutory body under the MoEFCC, established under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2006); implements Project Tiger and Project Cheetah; sets standards for tiger reserves and big cat conservation.
• Where: HQ in New Delhi; oversees 57 tiger reserves and the two cheetah reintroduction sites (Kuno NP, Gandhi Sagar WLS) across India.

Practice MCQs

Q1. With reference to President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Kuno National Park in June 2026, consider the following statements:

1. The President visited the park on 21–22 June 2026 and toured the Cheetah Management Area.
2. She interacted with members of the Sahariya tribe, Cheetah Mitras, cheetah trackers, and tourist guides.
3. The President had earlier witnessed the symbolic handover of cheetahs by Botswana during her state visit to that country in November 2025.
4. The President’s visit marked the launch of Project Cheetah.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; Project Cheetah was launched on 17 September 2022 by PM Narendra Modi, NOT during President Murmu’s June 2026 visit.)

Q2. With reference to Kuno National Park, consider the following statements:

1. Kuno National Park is located in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, in the Vindhyan Hills.
2. The core National Park covers 748 sq km, within the larger 1,235 sq km Kuno Wildlife Division.
3. It was originally developed in the 1990s as an alternative habitat for Asiatic lions.
4. Kuno National Park is in Gujarat, near Junagadh.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; Kuno is in Madhya Pradesh, NOT Gujarat. Junagadh’s Gir Forest in Gujarat is the home of Asiatic lions, NOT Kuno.)

Q3. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements:

1. Project Cheetah was launched on 17 September 2022 by PM Narendra Modi.
2. It is implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the MoEFCC.
3. The first batch of 8 cheetahs was brought from Namibia, followed by 12 cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023.
4. The cheetah was officially declared extinct in India in 2022, just before Project Cheetah was launched.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; the cheetah was officially declared extinct in India in 1952, NOT in 2022. The last cheetah died in 1947 in Korea district (now Chhattisgarh).)

Q4. With reference to the historical context of Kuno, consider the following statements:

1. According to a 1902 Gwalior princely state gazette, Mughal Emperor Akbar captured a large herd of elephants in the forests near Shivpuri in 1564.
2. The last Asiatic lion in the region was reportedly shot near the city of Guna in 1872.
3. In 1905, Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia I imported 10 African lions from Abyssinia (Ethiopia), of which 7 survived.
4. The 1905 lion experiment succeeded, and the introduced lions thrived in Kuno’s forests.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; the 1905 experiment failed — the imported lions, released in Shivpuri, became cattle-lifters and man-eaters, and the project was abandoned.)

Q5. With reference to the three batches of cheetahs brought to Kuno under Project Cheetah, consider the following statements:

1. The first batch was brought from Namibia in September 2022.
2. The second batch was brought from South Africa in February 2023.
3. The third batch was brought from Botswana in February 2026.
4. India also brought a batch of cheetahs from Kenya in 2024.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; no batch of cheetahs has been brought from Kenya; the three source countries are Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana.)

Q6. With reference to the cheetah species (Acinonyx jubatus), consider the following statements:

1. It is the world’s fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds up to 100 km/h.
2. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
3. The Asiatic cheetah subspecies survives only in small numbers in Iran.
4. The last cheetah in India died in 1947 in the Korea district of present-day Chhattisgarh.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(d) All four — all four statements are correct.

Answer Key

1. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Project Cheetah was launched in 2022, not during the 2026 visit.
2. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Kuno is in Madhya Pradesh, not Gujarat.
3. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because the cheetah was declared extinct in 1952.
4. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because the 1905 experiment failed.
5. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because no cheetahs came from Kenya.
6. (d) All four — all statements are correct (this is an exception to the usual “Only three” pattern; it ensures aspirants stay alert).

Exam Relevance

Banking (RBI Gr B, SBI PO, IBPS, NABARD)	General Awareness on Kuno, Project Cheetah, Conservation
NABARD Grade A	Very high importance, Direct subject — Wildlife, conservation, rural communities