Kirti Vardhan Singh

October 12, 2025 10:07 AM

Forest rangers worldwide honored for ultimate sacrifice in protecting wildlife and forests

The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) presented 13 rangers and ranger teams with the 2025 International Ranger Awards, recognizing their exceptional courage and dedication to nature conservation. The awards celebrate the resilience and perseverance of rangers who protect forests and wildlife worldwide, while raising public awareness about their critical role. Winners received financial grants ranging from USD 5,000 to 25,000 to support conservation work in their regions. This ye...

October 12, 2025 8:51 AM

India champions integrated urban development model at IUCN Congress in Abu Dhabi

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh outlined India’s integrated approach to sustainable urban development at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Congress, emphasizing that rapid urbanization offers opportunities for innovation and resilience rather than challenges alone. Speaking at a high-level ministerial dialogue on “Transforming Our Urban Environment: Pathways to Sustainability,” Singh said that with two-thirds of the ...

October 10, 2025 6:01 PM

India Calls for Integration of Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Action at IUCN Summit

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh led India’s intervention at a high-level roundtable with IUCN President Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. The session focused on nature-based solutions for climate action and the road to COP30 in Belém. Singh stressed that science and traditional knowledge must be viewed as complementary, calling for an evidence-based and culturally rooted framework for clim...

November 28, 2024 11:27 PM

India has taken up matter of rise in visa fees for students by Australia, MoS Singh informs Parliament

The Government of India has officially raised concerns with Australia over a significant hike in visa fees for international students, Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, informed Parliament. MoS Singh informed that the Australian government had increased the visa fee for international students from AUD 710 to AUD 1,600, effective July 1, 2024. Acknowledging the impact of the steep rise, the Minister expressed concern that the fee hike would create financial hardships ...

September 16, 2024 5:18 PM

India intensifying efforts to combat climate change: govt

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, provided a comprehensive update on India's climate change situation and adaptation efforts in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, human activities have unequivocally caused global warming, with temperatures rising 1.1°C above 1850-1900 levels in the decade of 2011-2020. The report warns of widespread impacts on ecosystem...

September 16, 2024 6:35 PM

Kuwait fire tragedy: Special IAF Aircraft carrying bodies of 45 Indian victims taken off for Kochi

A special Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indian victims from the tragic fire incident in Kuwait has taken off and is en route to Kochi. The aircraft is expected to arrive shortly at Cochin International Airport, where police forces and ambulances have been deployed in preparation for its arrival. Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, who coordinated closely with Kuwaiti authorities to ensure the swift repatriation of the deceased, is on...

September 16, 2024 6:35 PM

Kuwait fire tragedy: UAE-based prominent NRI businessman announces relief fund for victims

A prominent NRI businessman and Chairman of UAE-based Lulu Group has announced ex-gratia amounting to the sum of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased in the tragic Kuwait fire mishap. So far around 45 Indians are reported to have lost their lives in the deadly fire that broke out in the "labour accommodation" in the Mangaf area of Kuwait, in the early hours of Wednesday. India's government and the government of Kerala also have announced similar relief funds. Kerala health minister ...

June 13, 2024 5:17 PM

Kuwait City Inferno Kills 49 Indians , Investigation Launched

In a tragic incident, a massive fire ripped through a building housing foreign workers in Kuwait's southern Mangaf area on Wednesday, leaving at least 40 Indians dead and scores injured. The Kuwait Ministry of Interior announced that the death toll from the blaze at the Al-Mangaf building has reached 49. Authorities have launched an investigation to uncover the circumstances that triggered the deadly inferno. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh rushed to Kuwait ...

September 16, 2024 6:36 PM

Kuwait launches probe into tragic fire that killed at least 49

Kuwait's public prosecutor on Wednesday started an investigation into a fire that tore through a building housing foreign workers in the southern Mangaf area, leaving at least 49 people dead and dozens of others injured. The probe aims to uncover the circumstances behind the incident and what might have triggered the deadly inferno, the public prosecutor said on a social media platform. Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya and Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi visited Al-Adan Hosp...