Why was ‘Project Cheetah’ scientist’s extension curtailed?

An official informed the news agency that it was not an “individual-driven” project.

India

oi-Prakash KL

Noted
biologist
and
Wildlife
Institute
of
India
(WII)
dean
Yadvendradev
Vikramsinh
Jhala
has
claimed
that
the
government
informed
him
on
Tuesday
evening
that
his
tenure
in
the
high
post
has
got
over,
without
citing
“a
reason”,
ANI
reported.

In
an
order
issued
on
February
28,
the
Union
Ministry
of
Environment,
Forest
and
Climate
Change
curtailed
the
two-year
extension
till
February
28,
2024,
granted
to
Jhala
on
his
superannuation
on
February
28,
2022.

“Dr.
Y.V.
Jhala,
Scientist-G,
Wildlife
Institute
of
India,
Dehradun,
was
granted
an
extension
of
two
years
from
the
date
of
his
superannuation,
i.e.,28.02.2022.
In
this
context,
the
undersigned
is
directed
to
mention
that
the
said
extension
period
is
curtailed
and
restricted
to
one
year
i.e.,
up
to
28.02.2023,”
the
order
issued
on
February
28,
2023,
said.

“The
vacancy
arising,
as
a
result,
shall
be
filled
up
with
the
ongoing
process
of
recruitment
of
Scientists.
This
issues
with
the
approval
of
the
competent
authority,”
the
order
stated
further.

Can
India
reintroduce
Asian
Cheetah?
Here’s
what
expert
says

Responding
to
the
development,
he
told
the
news
agency
that
it
was
his
project.
“The
(Cheetah)
project
itself
was
mine,
but
the
government
is
the
parent.
The
government
can
do
whatever
it
wants.
What
can
we
do
about
it?
Last
evening,
I
was
told
that
my
tenure
is
over.
No
reason
was
given
to
me
by
the
government,”
he
added.

However,
an
official
has
denied
his
claims
and
told
ANI
that
it
was
not
an
“individual-driven”
project.
“Project
Cheetah’ is
a
project
of
the
Union
government
in
association
with
the
Madhya
Pradesh
government
and
the
WII.
It’s
not
an
individual-driven
project,”
the
official
told
the
news
agency
on
condition
of
anonymity.

The
official
further
stated
that
Jhala
had
retired
from
the
institute
and
was
serving
on
an
extension.
Hence,
it
was
wrong
to
say
that
his
tenure
was
cut
short.
He
also
sought
to
clarify
that
there
was
no
truth
in
Jhala’s
allegation
of
ignoring
him
as
he
was
part
of
every
meeting
of
the
task
force.

20
cheetahs
find
new
home

Under
the
ambitious
cheetah
reintroduction
programme,
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
had
released
the
first
batch
of
eight
spotted
felines
–
five
females
and
three
males
–
from
Namibia
into
a
quarantine
enclosure
at
the
Kuno
National
Park
in
Madhya
Pradesh
on
his
72nd
birthday
on
September
17
last
year.

Kuno’s
new
cheetah,
Sasha,
who
fell
ill
due
to
hepatorenal
infection,
doing
much
better,
says
officials

Cheetah
is
the
only
large
carnivore
that
got
completely
wiped
out
from
India,
mainly
due
to
overhunting
and
habitat
loss.
The
last
spotted
feline
died
in
1948
in
the
Sal
forests
of
Chhattisgarh’s
Koriya
district.

The
second
batch
of
12
cheetahs
were
released
into
the
Kuno
National
Park
(KNP)
on
February
18.