MK Ranjitsinh

In the history of wildlife conservation in India, MK Ranjitsinh stands out as a prominent figure. He joined the Indian Administrative Services in 1961 and in 1967 was posted to Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, where he helped save the central Indian Barasingha from extinction.

Having served as the collector in Mandla, MK Ranjitsinh was later appointed as the secretary of forest and tourism in the Madhya Pradesh state government. During this appointment, Ranjitsinh established 14 new sanctuaries, eight new national parks, and doubled the area of three existing national parks. MK Ranjitsinh served as the country’s first director of wildlife preservation under the environment ministry from 1973 to 1975, a position that he later held for a second spell as well.

MK Ranjitsinh – Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

MK Ranjitsinh is currently an emeritus member of the board of trustees of the Wildlife Trust of India, a leading conservation organization in the country, in which he previously occupied the position of chairman. One of his most notable contributions to wildlife conservation in India has been his role as one of the prime architects behind the Wildlife (Protection) Act in 1972—the first and foremost central legislation on wildlife conservation in India.