The National Celebrations for World Elephant Day 2026 took place on August 13, 2026, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Project Elephant was launched in 1992, while the Gaj Gaurav Awards were officially instituted later in 2022 to mark the project's 30th anniversary.
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Gaj Gaurav Awards 2026 Ceremony Details
- Presented By: Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Core Purpose: India's premier national recognition for exemplary contributions toward Asian elephant conservation, awarded annually to frontline staff.
- Award Recipients : Seven frontline staff members and mahouts from Jaldapara National Park, West Bengal, were honored for exceptional flood-rescue operations
- Bikash Kharia & Rajiv Oraon: Successfully saved six stranded captive elephants during major floods.
- Ajibul Haque, Ajit Gabur, Momtaz Alam, Amasur Kharia & Dilip Munda: Guided 13 displaced wild rhinoceroses to safety.
other highlights during nationwide celebrations:
- "30 Giant Steps" Publication: Released by the ministry to outline major conservation achievements under Project Elephant spanning from 2020 to 2026.
- Regional Action Plan: Unveiled a ₹500 crore initiative dedicated to human-elephant conflict management across Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.