Tamil Nadu reconstitutes State Board for Wildlife
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will head the reconstituted board to advise on wildlife conservation and protected area management.
The Tamil Nadu government has reconstituted the State Board for Wildlife with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay as the chairperson, according to The Hindu. The Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department issued a government order on October 28, 2026, to reform the board under Section 6(1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The board includes 30 members, comprising elected representatives, conservation organisations, biologists, and government officials. The Minister for Forests will serve as the vice-chairperson, while the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden will act as member-secretary. The Chief Secretary has been named a special invitee.
The board is tasked with advising the state government on managing protected areas, wildlife conservation policies, and amendments to wildlife schedules. It will also work on reconciling the needs of tribal and other forest-dwelling communities with conservation efforts.
Nominated MLAs include M. Sudhakar from Katpadi, S. Karthikeyan from Madurai East, and M.R.
Pallavi from Thiru.Vi.Ka. Nagar. Other members include representatives from the Wildlife Trust of India, Nature Conservation Foundation, OMCAR Foundation, ATREE, Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network, and the Bombay Natural History Society.
The reconstitution follows a request from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden after the tenure of non-official members expired. The previous board was reconstituted in April 2022.