Project Cheetah: 4-year Cheetah revival plan: Read about world's first intercontinental large carnivore translocation

Project Cheetah is a historic, world-first intercontinental conservation initiative launched by the Government of India on September 17, 2022. It aims to reintroduce the cheetah, which was declared officially extinct in India in 1952, back into its historical natural habitat. 

Spearheaded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the project focuses on reviving the grassland-savanna ecosystem by bringing in African cheetahs (Southern African subspecies) from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. 

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🔥 What is Project Cheetah? (In Details)

• Objective: To restore the ecological role of the cheetah as an apex predator, boost grassland biodiversity, and promote eco-tourism.
• The "Metapopulation" Approach: The goal is not just to keep them in one park, but to create a self-sustaining "metapopulation" of 60–70 cheetahs across multiple connected landscapes in Central India, including Kuno and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The Journey So Far: Starting with 20 initial cheetahs (8 from Namibia in 2022, 12 from South Africa in 2023), the project has seen both challenges and success, including the birth of multiple India-born cubs.
• Significance: It is the world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation project. 

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🛡️ The 4-Year (2024-2028) Cheetah Revival Plan 

As the initial phase faced challenges, the government shifted to a more strategic, long-term approach, often referred to as the "four-year" or "second-phase" plan focused on stabilization (roughly aligning with the 2024-25 through 2027-28 period). 

• Expansion to Second Site: Moving beyond Kuno, the plan focuses on establishing Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary as the second home for cheetahs to reduce pressure on Kuno.
• Strengthening Population (Botswana/Kenya): The plan includes importing a new batch of 8-10 cheetahs annually for a few years to maintain genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding.
• "Cheetah Mitras": Over 450 local community members were trained as 'Cheetah Mitras' to monitor the cats, prevent conflict, and ensure community support.
• Ecological Monitoring: Using high-tech GPS/Satellite collars to monitor movements 24/7, with teams focusing on reducing mortality rates.

Second Generation Success: A key target is ensuring that the cubs born in India (second generation) survive and adapt, which has been achieved with the births of multiple litters, including from India-born mothers. 

 

From rubbles to crown : Proud father now declares, "Mera nechu (son) India Khelke aaega

Ghulam, an ardent fan of ‘Tendulkar Sir’ and ‘Cool Ganguly’, was determined not to let his son play cricket. “I was against him playing cricket,” he says.

Ghulam Nabi teaches in a government school in Shiri, a few kilometres down the slope from Baramulla. When his son, Aquib was uprooting Karun Nair, K L Rahul and Devdutt Patnaik on day 3, the proud father was busy, teaching his students at the school. The man hadn’t taken leave from his duty, rather decided to watch video of his son’s bowling later. “I really wanted all my children to pursue medical studies,” he remembers.

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In Jammu and Kashmir, cricket never comes before politics, security concerns, religious and regional agonies. Like most of the families, in Aquib’s family also, being middle-class, primary focus would always on sustenance and livelihood, and the passion of the family’s sons never get preference.

“When Auquib would vanish for whole days and evenings, and we didn’t know his whereabouts, we felt very scared, ek darr sa rehta kahin beta kharaab nah ho jaaye. That’s why I was against his playing cricket, aur bhi darr laagta jab humse chupata tha, ki woh cricket khelne gaye the,” Ghulam recalls.

Auquib, always remained shy and somewhat introvert also but he was determined not to leave cricket in any situation. “Uska jo junoon tha woh dekhke maine haar maan li, when he was in 8th, he topped the zone at studies. From 9th to 12th, I always kept on saying to study medical, put him in special classes also.” Ghulam recalls, “I would rebuke him, lock him up in room, but he never answered me back. The ground where cricketers from Baramulla used to play cricket, cannot actually be called as a ground. It was full of pebbles and an unmarked land. People could mostly stroll on it but play, that also cricket, was totally not feasible…

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“It was not that I didn’t love cricket. How can it be when I also played the game. But in J&K, you can’t take the game as a career option.”

In Auquib’s first year of college, Ghulam for the first time in life, could realise why his son believed in himself and remained totally defiant almost with no word at all. “He was too shy to reply to any of my words or scoldings.”

Gig Workers, part of Modern India : Have you ever thought about their inhuman working conditions

 

Gig workers are independent contractors or "platform workers" who perform short-term, task-based, or on-demand jobs—such as food delivery, ride-hailing, or freelance consulting—rather than traditional full-time employment. 

Origin of the Term "Gig"

The word "gig" originated in the 1920s music industry, where jazz musicians used it to describe a single, one-off performance or "engagement" rather than a steady job. It became more widely used during the Great Depression to describe workers juggling multiple part-time jobs and gained global prominence with the rise of digital apps like Uber and Zomato. 

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Raghav Chadha and Seema Singh's Actions

Both Raghav Chadha (AAP MP) and Seema Singh (President of GIPSWU) have taken significant stands against the exploitation of gig workers in India, particularly focusing on those in the "quick commerce" and service sectors: 

• Raghav Chadha: In early 2026, Chadha became a vocal critic of the "10-minute delivery" model, labelling it "cruelty" that forces riders to risk their lives by over speeding. To highlight their struggles, he worked as a "gig worker for a day," delivering items for Blinkit, and hosted a delivery partner at his residence after a video of the worker's low earnings went viral. He has consistently pushed for a ban on ultra-fast delivery models and for the legal recognition of riders as humans rather than "disposable data points".
• Seema Singh: As the leader of the Gig Workers and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU), she led nationwide protests in February 2026, specifically highlighting the plight of women in the gig economy. Singh, who personally faced exploitation while working for Urban Company, has campaigned for over six years for a separate central law to protect gig workers from arbitrary ID blocking, sexual harassment, and the lack of basic facilities like toilets. 

Status of Gig Workers Internationally

The legal status of gig workers is a major point of global debate, with many countries moving toward providing them with more formal rights: 

United Kingdom: The Supreme Court famously ruled that Uber drivers are "workers" (a category between employees and contractors), entitled to minimum wage, holiday pay, and rest periods.

United States: California passed Proposition 22, which classifies app-based drivers as independent contractors but guarantees them certain benefits like 120% of the minimum wage for "engaged time" and healthcare stipends.

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Singapore: The Platform Workers Act, effective January 2025, provides gig workers with work injury insurance, pension (CPF) contributions, and collective bargaining rights.

China: In 2021, the government issued guidelines directing platforms to improve oversight and ensuring gig workers have access to national occupational safety and health standards.

Brazil: Following massive strikes in 2020, the country is currently debating specific regulations to address "uberization" and provide a legal safety net for its estimated 1.4 million gig workers.