Quick answer: The Gangetic (Ganges) river dolphin, Platanista gangetica, is an endangered freshwater dolphin of the Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna rivers and India’s national aquatic animal. It is in the news because a UNEP report released in late October 2026 named India’s Ganges river dolphin recovery programme among the UN World Restoration Flagships.
Why the Gangetic river dolphin is in the news
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published a report on global restoration progress in October 2026, titled Nature’s Comeback: Scaling Ecosystem Restoration for People and Planet. It was prepared with the FAO and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It was released at the halfway mark of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), and it lists India’s Ganges river dolphin programme among 35 World Restoration Flagships. News reports said the programme was noted both for helping the species recover and for creating jobs along the river.
Globally, the report counts about 252 million hectares in 149 countries under restoration and over one million jobs created, but says yearly restoration finance must more than quadruple to restore one billion hectares by 2030. India’s effort runs under a Comprehensive Action Plan for Dolphin Conservation (2022–2047), which covers hotspot mapping, monitoring, cutting net deaths and alternative livelihoods.
Key facts about the Gangetic river dolphin
- Scientific name: Platanista gangetica. Local names include susu, and in Assam khihu.
- Range: The Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna river system and connected rivers of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
- National aquatic animal: Decided at the first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority on 5 October 2009.
- Nearly blind: The eye has no lens. It hunts by echolocation, which works even in muddy water.
- First national count: India’s first range-wide survey estimated 6,327 river dolphins. Of these, 6,324 were Ganges dolphins and 3 were Indus dolphins. The Prime Minister released the report at the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife in Gujarat in March 2025. Assam alone recorded 635.
- Threats: Dams and barrages that split populations, low water flow, pollution and accidental capture in fishing nets.
Protection status at a glance
| Framework | Listing | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| IUCN Red List | Endangered | High risk of extinction in the wild |
| CITES | Appendix I | Commercial international trade banned |
| Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) | Appendix II | Needs international cooperation for conservation |
| Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2022) | Schedule I | Highest legal protection in India (the 2022 amendment cut the schedules to four) |
Project Dolphin, Vikramshila and National Dolphin Day
- Project Dolphin: Announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech of 15 August 2020. It covers both river and marine dolphins and is run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The 2025 population estimate was carried out under it, and a second range-wide count began in January 2026.
- Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary: A 60 km stretch of the Ganga from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, Bihar, notified in 1991. It is India’s best-known dolphin sanctuary and is named after the ancient Vikramshila university.
- National Dolphin Day: Marked on 5 October, the anniversary of the 2009 national aquatic animal decision. The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife chose the date in March 2022.
Ganges dolphin vs Indus dolphin
| Feature | Ganges river dolphin | Indus river dolphin |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Platanista gangetica | Platanista minor |
| Main range | Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna basin | Indus in Pakistan. In India, only a tiny group in the Beas river (Punjab), around Harike. |
| Status in India | National aquatic animal | State aquatic animal of Punjab (and national mammal of Pakistan) |
| Numbers in India (2025 survey) | 6,324 | 3 |
| Taxonomy | Once grouped together as the “South Asian river dolphin”. A 2021 study treated them as separate species that split about 5.5 lakh years ago. | |
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- India’s national symbols (national aquatic animal, heritage animal, national bird) are a favourite one-liner in NDA and CDS GK.
- Protected-area questions can ask which sanctuary was set up for dolphins (Vikramshila, Bihar) and which river stretch it covers.
- Expect statement-type questions on IUCN, CITES and WPA schedules, especially after the 2022 schedule changes.
- UN reports and decades (UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030) appear in international GK sections.
Practice MCQs
Q1. Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is located in which state?
(a) Uttar Pradesh (b) West Bengal (c) Bihar (d) Assam
Answer: (c). It covers the Ganga between Sultanganj and Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district.
Q2. On which date is National Dolphin Day observed in India?
(a) 5 June (b) 5 October (c) 2 February (d) 22 May
Answer: (b). The date marks the 2009 decision to make the dolphin the national aquatic animal.
Q3. Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2022, the Gangetic dolphin is listed in:
(a) Schedule I (b) Schedule II (c) Schedule III (d) Schedule IV
Answer: (a). Schedule I gives the highest protection.
Q4. The Indus river dolphin survives in India only in which river?
(a) Sutlej (b) Ravi (c) Beas (d) Chenab
Answer: (c). A remnant population lives in the Beas in Punjab.
Frequently asked questions
Why did UNEP recognise India’s Ganges dolphin programme?
UNEP’s October 2026 report on ecosystem restoration named it among 35 UN World Restoration Flagships. The report credited it with linking species recovery and river restoration with local livelihoods.
What is the IUCN status of the Gangetic river dolphin?
It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
How many river dolphins does India have?
The first national survey, released in March 2025, estimated 6,327 river dolphins. That includes 6,324 Ganges dolphins and 3 Indus dolphins.
When was Project Dolphin launched?
It was announced on 15 August 2020 in the Independence Day speech. It covers both river and marine dolphins.
Why is the Gangetic dolphin called blind?
Its eyes lack a lens, so it relies on echolocation, bouncing sound off objects, to find prey and move through murky water.
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Sources: The New Indian Express, Adda247, LexisNexis summary of the UNEP report, All India Radio News, Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (reference), Indus river dolphin (reference). Facts as reported up to 31 October 2026.
Featured image background: Munshi Abul Barakat / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
