Dr. Himmat Singh Negi is a highly accomplished conservationist and senior officer of the Indian Forest Service (1988 batch, Madhya Pradesh cadre), with over three decades of distinguished service in wildlife management, protected area governance, and institutional leadership. Holding a Ph.D. in Botany with specialized training in wildlife management, he has led several high-impact assignments at both the field and policy levels. Dr. Negi served as Field Director of premier tiger reserves such as Kanha and Pench, where he played a pivotal role in tiger and prey base recovery, hard-ground barasingha conservation, Gaur reintroduction, and eco-development. He is known for establishing the Buffer Zone Division and revitalizing the Phen Wildlife Sanctuary as a functional satellite micro-core. His innovative measures like “Operation Monsoon,” community-based conflict resolution, and participatory microplanning have been instrumental in building conservation support and institutionalizing joint forest management in core-buffer landscapes.
At the national level, Dr. Negi served as Inspector General of Forests at the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), where he oversaw tiger conservation policy implementation across the country, promoted science-based monitoring, and coordinated voluntary village relocation and habitat management. Internationally, he has represented India at several key multilateral platforms including CITES CoPs, tiger summits, and transboundary conservation workshops. Currently serving as Senior Advisor at the Global Tiger Forum, he continues to contribute to regional conservation planning and policy integration. Recognized with multiple accolades including the Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Conservation Award and WWF-PATA Conservation Award, Dr. Negi is widely regarded for blending scientific rigor with grassroots engagement and administrative excellence in advancing India’s tiger and biodiversity agenda.