The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is a premier governmental research institution and the apex national organization for animal taxonomy in India, functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It was officially established on 1 July 1916 with its headquarters in Kolkata, evolving from the Zoological Section of the Indian Museum, which itself originated from the collections of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. The institution was created to promote systematic survey, exploration, and research to advance knowledge about the fauna of the then British Indian Empire, solving the problem of needing a dedicated body for comprehensive faunal documentation.
The ZSI's core mechanism involves conducting systematic faunal surveys across India's biogeographic zones, identifying and classifying animal species, and maintaining the National Zoological Collection. It is legally designated as the repository for this collection under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The ZSI publishes comprehensive series like Fauna of India and prepares the Red Data Book on Indian Animals, which assesses the conservation status of species. The institution connects directly to India's international commitments, serving as the scientific authority for fauna in implementing obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). A significant recent change is the expansion of its mandate, particularly after India ratified the CBD in 1994, shifting its focus to include modern ecosystem-based conservation monitoring. Recently, the ZSI released the Animal Discoveries–2025 report, which added 709 new species to the national faunal database, and launched Version 3.0 of the Fauna of India Checklist.