Since 11 June 2024, Kirtivardhan Singh has been Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, working with the Cabinet Minister, Bhupender Yadav. By statute he is also Vice-Chairperson of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. This page sets out what the Ministry does, what the national record shows, and which engagements are documented in his name.
Sources: Press Information Bureau (PIB), MoEFCC, NTCA, Cabinet Secretariat, UNFCCC. Updated September 2026.
Fig. 1CoimbatoreJuly 2026At WII–SACON, Coimbatore, with Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, at the opening of the Centre of Excellence on Human–Wildlife Conflict (PIB, 10 July 2026).
§ 1Institutional context
The Ministry's mandate
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the Government of India's nodal agency for planning, promoting, coordinating and overseeing environmental and forestry policy. Its work covers the conservation and survey of flora, fauna, forests and wildlife; prevention and control of pollution; afforestation and regeneration of degraded land; and animal welfare. It is also India's nodal agency for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), SACEP, ICIMOD and the Global Environment Facility.
Table 1Organisations under the Ministry
Type
Bodies
Subordinate offices
Forest Survey of India · Botanical Survey of India · Zoological Survey of India · Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy · Directorate of Forest Education · National Zoological Park · National Museum of Natural History
Autonomous institutions
G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment · Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education · Indian Institute of Forest Management · IPIRTI · Wildlife Institute of India
Statutory bodies
Central Zoo Authority · National Biodiversity Authority · National Tiger Conservation Authority · National Green Tribunal · Central Pollution Control Board · National Afforestation & Eco-Development Board · Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
11 June 2024, Paryavaran Bhawan, New DelhiSworn in as Minister of State on 9 June 2024
Cabinet Minister
Bhupender Yadav
Current status
Minister of State, MoEFCC and MEACabinet Secretariat list of the Council of Ministers as on 23.06.2026 (item 13), and PIB releases up to 29 July 2026
Statutory role
Vice-Chairperson, National Tiger Conservation AuthorityEx officio under section 38L(2) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; the Cabinet Minister is Chairperson
In Parliament
Gives written replies for the Ministry, including in the Rajya Sabha
The minutes of the 26th meeting of the NTCA (21 December 2024, IGNFA Dehradun, chaired by the Cabinet Minister) record his remarks as Vice-Chairman. He called for new methods, including genetic control, to tackle invasive alien species, and for faster notification of Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve.
The protected-area, tiger-reserve and elephant-reserve figures above were given in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 5 February 2026, answered by Kirtivardhan Singh.
His other documented wildlife engagements include:
World Elephant Day 2025, Coimbatore (12 August 2025): he inaugurated the national event and presented the Gaj Gaurav Awards. PIB quotes him verbatim: "India's commitment to elephant conservation is not merely a policy choice, but a reflection of our civilizational values and ecological responsibility".
National Zoological Park, Delhi:
October 2024: he inspected the enclosure of the African elephant Shankar. PIB reports the elephant was freed from chains within 48 hours.
3 December 2024: he launched a trial of nano-bubble technology to clean pond water.
November 2025: he reviewed animal welfare at the park.
3 February 2026: he spoke at the Central Zoo Authority's 34th Foundation Day.
7 June 2026: he launched the "NZP Saathi" app and self-ticketing kiosks.
Human–wildlife conflict, Coimbatore (10 July 2026): he attended the opening of the Centre of Excellence at WII–SACON (Fig. 1), which was inaugurated by the Cabinet Minister.
India had 26 Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance in 2014. The count reached 101 in August 2026, when Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh was designated.
On 1 February 2025, he inaugurated a regional workshop in Ayodhya on the conservation and wise use of wetlands, covering nine northern States and Union Territories. The next day he inaugurated the national World Wetlands Day event at the Parvati Arga Ramsar Site in Gonda, together with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. See the Gonda page.
At the High-level Segment of the UN Climate Change Conference, he delivered India's National Statement. It stressed equity, climate justice and common but differentiated responsibilities. PIB quotes him verbatim: "What we decide here on NCQG must be founded on the principle of Climate Justice."
He also gave a keynote at an International Solar Alliance session on energy transitions for the Global South. The next day he co-chaired the LeadIT Summit 2024 with Sweden's climate minister, Romina Pourmokhtari.
Adaptation and resilience — March 2025
At Bharat Mandapam he gave the inaugural address at the national workshop on India's first National Adaptation Plan. He also co-presided over the "India 2047: Building a Climate-Resilient Future" symposium and gave its valedictory address.
Glaciers — Dushanbe, May 2025
He addressed the plenary of the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation in Tajikistan.
Fig. 2New Delhi29 Aug 2024Inaugurating the ASSOCHAM Environment & Carbon Conference, themed on achieving net zero by 2070. PIB quotes him: "It is a boundary-less phenomenon that we are facing and require a collaborative effort."
CBD COP16, Cali, Colombia (29 October 2024): he delivered India's national statement at the High-Level Segment. It cited the International Big Cat Alliance and the growth in Ramsar sites, and called for means of implementation under Target 19 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
IUCN World Conservation Congress, Abu Dhabi (October 2025): PIB reports that he led the Indian delegation. He launched India's National Red List Roadmap (Vision 2025–2030, prepared by ZSI and BSI), spoke on an urban-sustainability panel, and released "Guardians of the Wild" at a ceremony recognising forest rangers.
International Day for Biological Diversity 2026, IIFM Bhopal (22 May 2026): he addressed the national event and linked biodiversity to food, water and livelihood security.
Fig. 3Multilateral sessionAt a delegation desk during a multilateral conference session. The event and date could not be identified from the available records.
The National Clean Air Programme was launched in January 2019. Its target is to reduce PM10 by up to 40%, or to meet national standards, by 2025–26. In a Rajya Sabha written reply on 23 July 2026, he reported that:
108 of the 130 programme cities recorded lower PM10 in 2025–26 than in 2017–18;
₹16,423.56 crore was released between 2019–20 and 2025–26.
At the seventh UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi (11 December 2025), he delivered India's National Statement. He said India had reached 50% non-fossil installed electricity capacity and that more than 2.6 billion saplings had been planted under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.
Scope noteNo official record was found of his participation in COP30 (Belém), UNCCD COP16 (Riyadh), the UN Ocean Conference (Nice) or the plastics-treaty negotiations. They are not listed here. Namami Gange and the National River Conservation Plan are reported by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, not MoEFCC.
