Achievements of NTCA in 2023

Context: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) achieved significant milestones during the year 2023.

Achievements of NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) During the Year 2023

• Project Tiger completes 50 years: The Project Tiger has put the wild tigers of India on a path of recovery and has completed 50 years of successful implementation. 
• Tiger Population: As per the 5th cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2022 summary report, India has a minimum of 3167 tigers and now is home to more than 70% of the wild tiger population of the world. 
  • As per the data analysis using the latest statistical models for camera-trapped and non-camera-trapped tiger presence areas, the upper limit of the tiger population is estimated at 3925, and the average number of tigers is 3682 tigers, reflecting a commendable annual growth rate of 6.1% per annum.

To read more about Project Tiger, refer Project Tiger

• Amrit Kaal Ka Vision For Tiger Conservation: It aims to sustain tigers for posterity while preserving tangible and intangible gains derived from tiger reserves through landscape-level planning, sectoral integration and convergence.
• Successful Reintroduction of Cheetah:  At present, there are fifteen Cheetahs in Kuno as a result of the MoU with the Republic of Namibia and the Republic of South Africa for the translocation of Cheetahs to India.
  • A conservation breeding program of cheetahs in the Banni grasslands of Gujarat has also been approved.
• Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Tiger Reserves: The NTCA has been undertaking “Management Effective Evaluation” (MEE) for an interval of 4 years in order to assess the management effectiveness of tiger reserves.
  • MEE is to assist and improve the management perspectives of Tiger Reserves and their associated landscape connectivity. 
• Reintroduction of Tigers: It has been initiated as a part of active management to restore the wild tiger population in tiger reserves where tigers recently became locally extinct.
  • Under this,  tigers have been reintroduced in the western part of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand), Madhav National Park (Madhya Pradesh), Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve and Ramgarh Vishdhari (Rajasthan).
• Declaration of new Tiger Reserves: The county’s total number of tiger reserves has increased to 54.
  • The 53rd tiger reserve was declared in Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh and 54th tiger reserve in Rani Durgavati” in Madhya Pradesh.
• Conservation Assured’ Tiger Standards (CA|TS) accreditation of Tiger Reserves in India: Six tiger reserves, namely Kali, Melghat, Navegaon – Nagzira, Pilibhit and Periyar have been awarded with CA|TS accreditation in 2023. 
  • So far a total of 23 tiger reserves of India have received CA|TS accreditation.
• International Award to tiger reserves: Pench Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) and Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) jointly and Satpura Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) have been awarded with Tx2 award during 2022-23.

Also Read: 

• Tiger Reserves In India 2023
• Tiger Deaths in India 2023

News Source: PIB