The Government of India in April 1973, launched ‘Project Tiger’ to promote the conservation and protect tigers in India. Since then, the Project has helped in restoring the population and strengthening conservation efforts for tigers. The Project is one of the largest species conservation initiatives in the world.
India achieved a doubling of tiger population in 2018, 4 years ahead of the targeted year 2022. It is home to 70% of the tiger population globally. The last tiger census of 2018 showed a rise in the tiger population.
India is among the 13 countries with tiger reserves that in 2010 decided to double its tiger populations by 2022. According to the 2018 tiger census, India has around 2,967 tigers and currently, there are 51 Tiger Reserves in the country.
About Project Tiger
Launched from Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, the project is an ongoing scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The centrally sponsored scheme is applicable in nine reserves of different States, namely Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Project Tiger has been converted into a statutory authority, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) by providing enabling provisions in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 through an amendment, via Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006.
The NTCA addresses ecological and administrative concerns for conserving tigers. It provides a statutory basis for the protection of tiger reserves and provides strengthened institutional mechanisms for the protection of ecologically sensitive areas and endangered species.
Purpose of Project Tiger
Tiger is a vital animal species that ensure a viable population of other wild animals. The animal is important for the food chain and helps in maintaining the ecological viability of the entire area, habitat, water, and climate security of the region.
Tiger Conservation in India
The Government of India is actively taking initiatives to conserve and protect tigers in the country. In the 19th Meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) (January 2022), Union Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav called for adopting active management for the conservation of tigers.
For tiger conservation and protection, the Government has been taking various efforts. Recently, to curb poaching of wildlife, the Government has been motivating and generating awareness among people in the northeast to voluntarily surrender their airguns.
Tiger Conservation efforts in the Indian context require the combined efforts of the government and the community at its centre. Both require each other, and continuous efforts are being made for the involvement of local communities in protection and Eco-tourism activities.
Further, the budgetary allocation for tiger conservation has been increased from Rs 185 crore in 2014 to Rs 300 crore in 2022. The CA|TS accreditation of 14 Tiger Reserves in India also signifies successful tiger conservation efforts.
Conservation Assured |Tiger Standards
In July 2021, India’s 14 Tiger Reserves had received the CA|TS accreditation. This includes Manas, Kaziranga, and Orang in Assam, Satpura, Kanha, and Panna in Madhya Pradesh, Pench in Maharashtra, Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar, Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh, Sunderbans in West Bengal, Parambikulam in Kerala, Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka, and Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.
CA|TS or Conservation Assured |Tiger Standards is a globally accepted conservation tool that sets best practices and standards to manage tigers and encourages assessments to benchmark progress.
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