709 New Species and 353 Plant Taxa Added to India’s Biodiversity Database

Context

India documented 709 new faunal species and 353 new plant taxa in 2025, significantly expanding the country’s biodiversity records through discoveries made by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

• 709 New Species and 353 Plant Taxa Added to India’s Biodiversity Database: The discoveries include species new to science as well as new distributional records for India. Kerala recorded the highest number of newly identified faunal species, while Arunachal Pradesh led in newly documented plant taxa, reinforcing India’s status as a mega-diverse country.
• Major Discoveries: Newly documented species include mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, freshwater fishes, flowering plants, orchids, bryophytes, lichens and fungi, enhancing scientific understanding of India’s ecosystems and endemic biodiversity.

Significance: 

• Continuous biodiversity documentation strengthens conservation planning, environmental impact assessments, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and supports India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Key Concepts

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)

• Established in 1916 and headquartered in Kolkata, ZSI is India’s premier institution for faunal exploration, taxonomic research, species documentation and conservation studies.
• It functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and maintains the national faunal repository.

Botanical Survey of India (BSI)

• Established in 1890, BSI is India’s apex institution for plant taxonomy, floristic surveys, plant documentation and conservation research.
• It undertakes exploration of India’s flora, maintains national herbaria, and provides scientific inputs for biodiversity conservation, protected area management and environmental policymaking.