Everyone dreams of being born into a royal family with all the luxury and amenities at your disposal. But there are some rare people who despite being born as a royal family member sacrifice it all to make a meaningful contribution to society and the world. This makes their name etched in annals of history and an inspiration for generations to come.
We are talking about Dr. M.K. Ranjitsinh Jhala, 84, a former Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer from the 1961 batch, who was the first member of the royal family to become an IAS officer. Also known as India’s cheetah man, he was the architect of the 1972 Wildlife (Protection) Act and had spent more than 50 years nurturing India’s wilderness, developing ground-breaking legislation, taking action for endangered species, and enabling a revolution for Indian wildlife.
Early Beginnings and Ias journey
Ranjitsinh, an heir of the former Wankaner royal dynasty of Saurashtra, Gujarat, joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1961 after sacrificing his royal and lavish lifestyle. Since childhood, he has been immensely passionate about wildlife and nurturing them,
After becoming an IAS, he became in charge of the foremost efforts to protect the highly endangered barasingha deer, Rucervus duvaucelii, from central India.
Contribution towards wildlife protection
His other major contribution was writing the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 while serving as the Government of India’s Deputy Secretary for Forests and Wildlife. He formed plans to give states financial support from the central government to build national parks and sanctuaries. He was also the first Director of Wildlife Preservation in India under this Act.
Thereafter, he was also the member secretary of the team that created Project Tiger, one of the most successful conservation initiatives in the world. Then, from 1975 to 1980, he also played a role in the international wildlife sphere by serving as the Nature Conservation Adviser in the UNEP’s Bangkok Regional Office. After his return to India, he managed 11 sanctuaries and up to eight national parks.
One of his notable contributions is towards cheetahs as he was at the forefront of calling for reintroducing cheetahs. The ‘African Cheetah Introduction Project in India’ was established in 2009, and was formally introduced in 2020 by the Supreme Court and Ranjitsinh was chosen to lead the expert group. He also wrote various famous books on wildlife.
Recognition
For his significant contribution towards wildlife, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 for his work in wildlife protection. He has also held numerous positions including the director of wildlife preservation, chairman of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), director general of the WWF Tiger Conservation Programme (TCP), and so on.
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