The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), scientifically known as Ardeotis nigriceps, is a critically endangered, large, terrestrial bird and one of the heaviest flying species endemic to the Indian subcontinent. It is a species protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which grants it the highest degree of legal protection against hunting and exploitation. The species is also classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed in Appendix I of CITES.
The GIB's population declined drastically from over 1,000 individuals a few decades ago to an estimated 150 individuals as of 2018, primarily due to habitat loss and collision with overhead power lines. To address this, the Government of Rajasthan launched Project Great Indian Bustard on June 5, 2013, focusing on conservation breeding and habitat restoration, connecting it to the national Species Recovery Programme.
A major mechanism for its protection involves judicial intervention against infrastructure development. The Supreme Court of India, in the case M.K. Ranjitsinh & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors., delivered a significant order in April 2021 that imposed a blanket prohibition on new overhead transmission lines across approximately 99,000 sq. km of GIB habitat and directed undergrounding of existing lines. This order was subsequently modified in March 2024 and a final judgment was delivered on December 19, 2025. The final judgment stepped back from the blanket undergrounding mandate, accepting an expert committee's recommendation for a more targeted approach. It established clearly delineated Revised Priority Areas (e.g., 14,013 sq. km in Rajasthan) and mandated mitigation measures like corridor-based routing for new power lines, balancing conservation with the expansion of Green Energy Corridor (GEC) projects.