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.
About NTCA:
- About: NTCA is a statutory body constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
- Powers and Functions: Approving the tiger conservation plan prepared by the State Government.
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA):
- It was launched to strengthen global cooperation and efforts for the conservation of seven big cat species (tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma) and their habitats.
Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS) accreditation of Tiger Reserves:
- CA|TS is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation as per the international standards.
TX2 Awards:
- They are given for doubling the tiger population. These awards are supported by Conservation Assured I Tiger Standards, Fauna & Flora International, Global Tiger Forum (GTF), IUCN, Panthera, UNDP, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and WWF.
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News Source: PIB
December 30, 2023