Project Tiger: India’s Conservation Milestone

Context:

Published on March 27, 2025, in The Indian Express, this article provides an in-depth look at Project Tiger, launched in 1973 to protect India’s Bengal tiger population. With the tiger symbolizing ecological balance and cultural heritage, the piece outlines the project’s successes, challenges, and broader implications, making it a vital topic for aspirants preparing for competitive exams as of March 27, 2025.

Key Information Points:

• Launch and Objective: Initiated on April 1, 1973, by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at Jim Corbett National Park, Project Tiger aimed to conserve the endangered Bengal tiger and its habitats.
• Initial Scale: Began with nine tiger reserves covering 18,278 sq km to halt the decline of tiger numbers due to hunting and habitat loss.
• Current Status: By 2025, it includes 58 tiger reserves across 75,000 sq km, with Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh, added in March 2025 as the latest.
• Population Growth: Tiger numbers rose from 1,411 in 2006 to 3,682 by 2022, per the latest census, with India hosting 75% of the world’s wild tigers.
• Global Commitment: The St. Petersburg Declaration (2010) set a goal to double global tiger numbers by 2022, which India exceeded, reinforcing its conservation leadership.
• Structure: Overseen by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), established in 2005 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, with state-level coordination.
• Funding: Central government finances core areas, while states fund buffer zones; total expenditure reached Rs 3,306 crore from 2019-2024.
• Conservation Measures: Includes anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration, prey base enhancement, and community relocation from core zones.
• Tiger Reserves: Notable reserves include Jim Corbett (Uttarakhand), Kanha (Madhya Pradesh), and Sundarbans (West Bengal), each with unique ecosystems.
• Success Factors: Strong political will, community involvement, and international collaboration drove population recovery.
• Challenges: Habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching persist, with 29% of tigers living outside protected areas, per NTCA estimates.
• Poaching Threat: A 2025 investigation revealed a syndicate killed over 100 tigers since 2022, using digital payments and cross-border supply lines to Nepal and Myanmar.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Rising tiger numbers increase conflicts, causing crop damage, livestock loss, and human casualties, especially near reserves.
• Transboundary Efforts: India collaborates with Bangladesh on Sundarbans conservation and launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) in 2023 for seven big cat species.
• Economic Impact: Tiger tourism boosts local economies, supporting livelihoods around reserves.
• Cultural Significance: Tigers symbolize power and wilderness in Indian culture, enhancing conservation awareness.
• Future Needs: Balancing tiger population growth with habitat expansion and conflict mitigation remains critical.

Key Terms:

• Project Tiger: 1973 initiative to protect Bengal tigers and their habitats.
• NTCA: National Tiger Conservation Authority, overseeing tiger protection since 2005.
• Tiger Reserve: Protected area designated for tiger conservation, including core and buffer zones.
• St. Petersburg Declaration: 2010 global commitment to double tiger numbers by 2022.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Clashes between humans and tigers over space and resources.
• IBCA: International Big Cats Alliance, launched in 2023 for big cat conservation.
• Core Zone: Strictly protected reserve area excluding human activity.

Link To The Original Article – https://indianexpress.com/article/upsc-current-affairs/upsc-essentials/upsc-issue-at-a-glance-project-tiger-conservation-prelims-2025-9903364/