India now home to 70% of world’s tigers

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is Project Tiger?
• What is the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)?
• What are the Objectives of NTCA?
• What are the findings of Tiger Census 2018 Report?
• News Summary: India now home to 70% of world’s tigers

Why in news?

• The Centre has told the Supreme Court that India had about 2,967 tigers (approx. 70% of global wild tiger population) in its wildlife as per the last count in 2018.
• It was revealed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in an affidavit filed in the court.

What is Project Tiger?

• The Govt. of India had launched Project Tiger on 1st April 1973 to promote conservation of the tiger.
  • This project has been the largest species conservation initiative of its kind in the world.
• The Project is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• It provides funding support to tiger range States for in-situ conservation of tigers in designated tiger reserves.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is the immediate supervising agency of this project.

What is the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)?

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has been constituted under the provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The authority consists of: 
  • the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (as Chairperson), 
  • the Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (as Vice-Chairperson), 
  • three members of Parliament, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and other members.

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What are the Objectives of NTCA?

• The objectives of NTCA are:
  • Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance of its directives become legal.
  • Fostering accountability of Center-State in management of Tiger Reserves, by providing a basis for MoU with States within our federal structure.
  • Providing for an oversight by Parliament.
  • Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.

What are the findings of Tiger Census 2018 Report?

• On International Tiger Day 2019, a census report of tigers in India was launched.
  • International Tiger Day is celebrated annually on July 29. 
  • It was observed for the first time in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia.
  • The summit finalized Global Tiger Recovery Plan known as TX2 (doubling the tiger population by 2022).
• As per the report, the total population of Tiger in India is 2967. 
  • In 2014, the count was 2,226 which reflected an increase of 741 individuals (aged more than one year), or 33%, in four years.
• India has achieved the target of doubling the tiger count four years ahead of the deadline of 2022.
• The top Tiger States of India (by Tiger population) – Madhya Pradesh (526); Karnataka (524); Uttrakhand (442).
• Top states in terms of Percentage increase in Tiger population: Madhya Pradesh (71%), Maharashtra (64%), Karnataka (29%).
• States with maximum Tiger Population Growth or Increase (since 2006) – Kerala (313 %), Tamil Nadu (247%), Bihar (210%).
• Worst Performing States – Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger population.

News Summary: India now home to 70% of world’s tigers

• From the brink of extinctio n to now becoming home to 70% of the global population, the Centre told the SC that India has achieved grand success in saving tigers.
• As per the affidavit filed in the apex court, there is an annual growth of 6% in the big cat’s population, which offset natural losses.
• India achieved the target of doubling the tiger population in 2018, four  years ahead of schedule of the St Petersburg Declaration on tiger conservation.
• The number of tiger reserves has gone up to 53 covering around 76,000 sq km with 2,967 tigers.
  • A new tiger reserve – Ranipur Tiger Reserve – has been declared in UP.

Q1) Who started Project Tiger in India?

 Project Tiger was started by the Government of India in 1973, for the conservation of Tigers in India. All the project tigers are governed and managed by a committee called the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Q2) Which was the first national park to come under Project Tiger?

 Jim Corbett was the first national park to come under Project Tiger. During its inception, the name of the park was Hailey National Park, which was rechristened afterwards in the honor of the great conservationist and naturalist Jim Corbett.

Source: Govt to Supreme Court: Last tiger count in 2018 was 2,967 | National Tiger Conservation Authority | Times of India | Deccan Herald