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’s in today’s article?

• Project Tiger
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
• Tiger Census 2018 Report
• News Summary

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 (MoEFCC).
• 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

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• It has been constituted under the provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The authority consists of:
  • Minister in charge of MoEFCC (as Chairperson),
  • Minister of State in MoEFCC (as Vice-Chairperson),
  • three members of Parliament, Secretary, and other members.

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.

Tiger Census 2018 Report

• On International Tiger Day July 29 (2019), a census report of tigers in India was launched.
  • It was observed for the first time in 2010 at the 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%).
• 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 extinction 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
  • A new tiger reserve – Ranipur Tiger Reserve – has been declared in UP.