Project Tiger and International Big Cats Alliance

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• About the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA)
• What is Project Tiger?
• Tiger Census – All India Tiger Estimation (5th cycle)

Why in News?

• The PM recently launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA), inaugurated the programme ‘Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger’, and released the summary report of All India Tiger Estimation (5th cycle).

About the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA):

• In 2019, the PM of India called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to obliterate demand and firmly curb poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia.
• Taking the message of the PM forward, the International Big Cats Alliance is being launched which will focus on the protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world (Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah).
• The Alliance will have a membership of the range countries harbouring these species.

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What is Project Tiger?

• It is a tiger conservation programme launched in 1973 as a centrally sponsored scheme by the Government of India and administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• It aims at
  • Ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tiger (‘endangered’) in its natural habitats,
  • Protecting it from extinction,
  • Preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage that represent the diversity of ecosystems across the tiger’s range in the country.
• For tiger conservation, Tiger Reserves were set up in 1973 and are governed by Project Tiger.
  • Initially, the Project covered nine tiger reserves spread over 18,278 sq km.
  • Now, the project includes 54 tiger reserves sprawling over around 75,000 sq km of the region.
• The monitoring system M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) – is a software-based monitoring system developed (by NTCA in 2010) to assist patrol and protect tiger habitats.

Tiger Census – All India Tiger Estimation (5th cycle):

Q1) What is M-STrIPES?

M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) is a software-based monitoring system launched across Indian tiger reserves by the Indian government’s National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2010.

Q2) What is a centrally sponsored scheme?

This is a scheme that is implemented by state governments of India but are largely funded by the Central Government with a defined State Government share. Some examples are MGNREGA, Project Tiger, etc.

Source: PM arrives in Mysore to commemorate 50 years of Project Tiger, launch International Big Cats Alliance | TH