In a move blending military preparedness with ecological research, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) will sign two historic Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on its 110th Foundation Day, marking an unprecedented step towards addressing food scarcity among Indian Army troops deployed in inhospitable terrains.
Drawing inspiration from the logistical struggles faced by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj, which was hamstrung by ration shortages, the ZSI now seeks to ensure that Indian soldiers stationed in high-altitude or dense jungle regions are not similarly hindered in future.
ZSI Director Dr Dhriti Banerjee said the first MoU will be signed with the Indian Army’s Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS). “This collaboration will focus on conducting in-depth research on local animal species in high-altitude and difficult terrains that could serve as alternative sources of protein for army personnel,” she explained.
A second agreement will be inked with the International Union for Conservation of Nature–Natural Resources (IUCN-NR), focusing on environmental research and sustainable practices in fragile ecosystems.
Tamal Mandal, a senior ZSI scientist, said the initiative will provide practical survival knowledge to soldiers operating in remote areas. “We aim to provide scientifically backed training to jawans on what local fauna is safe to consume under survival conditions,” he said. “Through rigorous experimentation and research, we will identify which animals, or parts thereof, are edible and safe—arming our soldiers with vital survival knowledge in extreme environments.”
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The MoUs will be signed on 30 June at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in Kolkata during ZSI’s Foundation Day celebrations. The Union Minister for Forests, Environment and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav, will preside over the event and later inaugurate the Animal Taxonomy Summit, which will run from 1–3 July.
This year’s summit will be the largest in ZSI’s history, drawing some 500 delegates from India and overseas, including Ghana, Denmark, the US and the UK. The three-day event will feature 22 plenary lectures and 170 poster presentations on key issues in taxonomy, systematics, conservation and biodiversity. The summit’s recommendations will be submitted to the Government of India to inform national policy.
As part of the celebrations, ZSI will release Animal Discovery–2024, its annual publication featuring 600 newly discovered animal species. The second edition of the Checklist of Fauna of India, a comprehensive compendium listing 1,05,244 species and subspecies, will also be unveiled. The volume reflects a century of painstaking work by over 185 ZSI scientists under Banerjee’s stewardship.
Adding to the day’s events, the national finale of the ZSI Hackathon on Climate Change will also take place in Kolkata. The competition, which began with 205 teams across 16 ZSI centres, has narrowed the field to five finalists. They will present innovative ideas on environmental technology and policy in the hope of shaping the future of climate resilience.
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