The 'Project Tiger' is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, and it has put the endangered tiger on an assured path of recovery by saving it from extinction, as revealed by the recent findings of the All India tiger estimation using the refined methodology. In this article, we will discuss regarding Project Tiger which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

What is Project Tiger?

• Project Tiger was established in 1973. It was one of the most significant conservation efforts launched in India to protect tigers.
• It was the first project of its kind in India to maintain the population of tigers and protect them from poaching and other threats.
• The NTCA addresses ecological and administrative issues related to tiger conservation.
• It establishes a legal framework for the protection of tiger reserves and strengthens institutional safeguards for ecologically sensitive areas and endangered species.
• Project Tiger was made a statutory authority (NTCA) by inserting enabling provisions into the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 via an amendment, the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act of 2006.
• The Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand was India's first tiger reserve.
• In the early years of this project, India had only nine tiger reserves. There are currently 53 such reserves in India.

Objectives of Project Tiger

• To ensure the survival of India's tiger population for scientific, economic, cultural, and aesthetic reasons.
• To identify and mitigate factors causing tiger habitat loss through appropriate management practises.
• To preserve areas of such biological importance as a national heritage for the benefit of education and enjoyment of the people at all times.
• The preservation of endangered species.
• To safeguard the rights of tribals and local people living near tiger reserves.

The success of Project Tiger

• India was facing a huge conservation challenge. The tiger population was only one thousand and two hundred in the 1970s, but according to a recent census, there has been a 33% increase in population in the last eight years.
• The NTCA deserves special recognition for launching Project Tiger in 1973.
• The tiger population is now around 3,000, which is still not healthy or stable, but Project Tiger has helped.
• This speaks volumes about the government's and national parks' efforts. While the rest of the world is looking for ways to increase the number of tigers, India has already begun to achieve milestones through Project Tiger.
• From hunting grounds to tiger reserves, India has demonstrated its ability to conserve wildlife in general. They have also updated the forest and wildlife acts. Any form of illegal animal trading is banned.
• Human intervention is not permitted in any of the reserves or forests. For the Tigers to hunt, live, and survive, a suitable habitat has been created. This project has been named the "Most Successful Project" in the world.
• The project is still ongoing and will continue until the tigers are removed from the endangered species list.
• The population of Royal Bengal Tigers is still a concern, but it is increasing and more people are working together to conserve Tigers.
• Many people are now aware of conservation measures and actively participate in wildlife conservation-related activities.

Challenges to Project Tiger

• Various government officials' efforts and dedication was required to make Project Tiger a successful piece of work. It was difficult to take hunting lands off the market. Many people objected to it and voiced their displeasure. Nonetheless, the project went ahead.
• Poaching was another major issue. Many people used to sell tiger bones and skin to foreign markets. This was a significant revenue generator for them.
  • Tigers are killed on a regular basis so that their body parts can be used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
  • Despite all of the project's efforts, they were unable to halt the illegal trade in animal skins. Individuals used to violate the law in order to sell them to international buyers. This resulted in the extinction of tigers.
• During the construction of sanctuaries and reserves, the human population living there encountered a problem and thus spoke out against it.
  • They passed a Forest Rights Act outlining their difficulties. They wanted to have space for them as well and did not want to leave their current location.
• Large-scale development projects such as dams, industry, mines, railway lines, and so on cause habitat pressure, fragmentation, and destruction.
• Invasive species: annihilate the local producers. The food chain suffers as a result of this. Tigers suffer the most because they are at the bottom of the food chain.

Tiger Reserves

• In India, there are 53 tiger reserves that are governed by Project Tiger, which is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• The Government of India launched Project Tiger in 1973 in order to save the endangered species of tiger in India.
• India is home to 80% of the world's tigers.
• Tiger reserves are designated areas for the protection of tigers and their prey, and are governed by Project Tiger, which was established in the country in 1973.
• On the recommendation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the State Government shall declare an area a tiger reserve.
• There were 1,411 tigers in 2006, which increased to 1706 in 2011, 2226 in 2014 and 2967 in 2018.
• According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Global Tiger Summit (GTF), the total number of wild tigers worldwide increased to 3890 in 2016.
• Beginning with nine reserves in 1973-74, the number has grown to fifty-three.
• These project tiger areas cover a total area of 71027.10 km2.
• The existing tiger reserves cover roughly one-third of India's dense forest area.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Tiger Reserves in India

National Tiger Conservation Authority

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change established under the enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, to strengthen tiger conservation in accordance with the powers and functions delegated to it by the Act.
• It is the apex body that administers ‘Project Tiger’.
• The NTCA was established in 2005 in response to the Tiger Task Force's recommendations.
• The authority is comprised 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, the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and other members.
• The NTCA has been carrying out its mandate under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, by maintaining oversight through advisories/normative guidelines based on tiger status assessments, ongoing conservation initiatives, and recommendations of specially constituted Committees.
• The NTCA also conducts a country-level assessment of the status of tigers, co-predators, prey, and habitat once every four years, using the Tiger Task Force-approved methodology.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

Estimation of Tiger Populations

• 'Tiger census' refers to the process of estimating the number of tigers in a given area.
• This exercise gives us an estimate of the number of tigers, their density, and the change in tiger indices - a measure of tiger occupancy in a given area.
• It is carried out on a regular basis to determine the current tiger populations and population trends.
• Aside from estimating the number of tigers, the method also assists in gathering data on the density of tiger populations and associated prey.
• The 'Pugmark Census Technique' was the most commonly used technique in the past. The imprints of the tiger's pugmark were recorded and used to identify individuals using this method.
• It is now widely used as an indicator of tiger occurrence and relative abundance.
• Camera trapping and DNA finger-printing are two recent methods for estimating the number of tigers.
• In camera trapping, a photograph of the tiger is taken, and individuals are distinguished by the stripes on their bodies.
• Tigers can be identified from their scats using the most recent DNA fingerprinting technique.
• M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) is an app-based monitoring system launched by the NTCA in 2010 across Indian tiger reserves.
  • Field managers would be able to use the system to improve the intensity and spatial coverage of patrols in a geographic information system (GIS) domain.

Assessment Methodology for Tiger Estimation

• The All India Tiger Estimation is a critical component of our national tiger conservation efforts.
• This monitoring has been carried out every four years since 2006.
• This report presents the findings of the 2010 National Tiger Assessment, which was conducted using best-in-class scientific methods.
• This report provides an estimate of India's current tiger population as well as a more comprehensive assessment of our tiger landscapes.
• The following are the three stages of the tiger estimation procedure:
  • Phase 1: Field data is collected by trained personnel at the beat level (i.e., the primary patrolling unit) using a standardised protocol.
  • Phase 2: Using satellite data, assess the habitat status of tiger forests.
  • Phase 3: The primary method was camera trapping, in which individual tigers were identified from photographs based on their distinct stripe patterns. This data was examined using a well-established scientific framework. Wildlife biologists and local forest personnel worked together to set up camera traps.
• An estimate for other contiguous tiger-occupied landscapes was made based on the tiger numbers recorded in sampled sites. Additional information such as tiger signs, prey availability, habitat conditions, and human disturbance was used for this.
• As a result, the final estimates provide a comprehensive and statistically sound result for the entire country.

Phase IV of Estimation of Tiger Populations

• Through 'Phase IV' of the national tiger estimation programme, India has announced a significant expansion of its tiger monitoring programme.
• From November 2011, this began intensive annual monitoring of tigers at the tiger reserve level across the country's protected areas.
• The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) developed the methodology in consultation with experts, and it will use statistically sound procedures to estimate the numbers of both tigers and their prey.
• Camera traps are used in the tiger monitoring protocol, with a density of 25 double-sided cameras per 100 square kilometres and a minimum trapping effort of 1000 trap nights per 100 square kilometres.
• This will provide a yearly indication of the status of critical tiger populations across the country, which will be critical to long-term tiger population management and conservation.
• Distance sampling protocols will be used to monitor the prey population at the same time. Distance sampling will take place along line transects that were already established in phase I, with a minimum of 30 spatial replicates of 2 km each and a total effort of 300 km.

Innovations In the 2010 National Tiger assessment

The 2010 National Tiger Assessment differs from previous assessments in several ways. These are some examples:

• Collaboration with civil society organisations.
• Participation of local communities in data collection and analysis.
• The use of genetic analysis to estimate tiger populations from faeces.
• In addition to tigers, co-predators, prey, and habitat quality were evaluated.
• Pioneering attempt to estimate tiger populations in West Bengal's Sunderbans Tiger Reserve using satellite telemetry and sign surveys.
• The first tiger population estimate in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra).

Tiger Population Estimates

• In 2006 and 2010, the same scientifically sound methods were consistently used. This allowed for the comparison of results from both estimation exercises as well as the understanding of the trend in tiger numbers.
• The estimated tiger population in 2006 was 1411, but thanks to conservation efforts, it has steadily increased to 1706 in the 2010 tiger estimate.
• According to the Census (2014), there were 2,226 tigers in the country, up from 1,706 in 2010.
• According to the Tiger Census results (All India Tiger Estimation 2018-19), the total number of tigers has increased to 2,967 from 2,226 in 2014.
• Madhya Pradesh had the most tigers (526), followed by Karnataka (524), and Uttarakhand (442).
• Tiger population growth: Madhya Pradesh (71%), Maharashtra (64%), and Karnataka (29%).
• Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand has the most tigers.
• There have been no tiger sightings in the reserves of Buxa (West Bengal), Palamau (Jharkhand), or Dampa (Mizoram).

International Cooperation for Project Tiger

• Apart from a protocol on tiger conservation with China, India has a Memorandum of Understanding with Nepal on controlling trans-boundary illegal wildlife trade and conservation.
• A bilateral protocol with Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar is in the works.
• The Global Tiger Forum is an international intergovernmental organisation dedicated solely to the conservation of tigers in the wild in their range countries.
• The Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) was established in 2008 as a global alliance of governments, international organisations, civil society, conservation, and scientific communities, as well as the private sector, with the goal of collaborating to save wild tigers from extinction.
• The Malaysian government and the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) recently hosted the 4th Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation.
• The conference is an important opportunity to review progress toward the Global Tiger Recovery Programme and tiger conservation commitments.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link International Cooperation for Project Tiger

Steps Taken Regarding Tiger Conservation

• India has accomplished the incredible feat of doubling the tiger population in 2018 alone, four years ahead of the target year of 2022.
• The successful model of tiger governance in India is now being replicated for other wildlife such as the Lion, Dolphin, Leopard, Snow Leopard, and other small wild cats.
• Tiger conservation funding has increased from Rs 185 crore in 2014 to Rs 300 crore in 2022.

Legal Steps

• To fully implement the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, major changes in policy and management of tiger populations are made.
• Increased punishment for offences involving a tiger reserve or its core area.

Administrative Steps

• Increased anti-poaching activity, including a special strategy for monsoon patrolling.
• State-level steering committees chaired by Chief Ministers, as well as the establishment of the Tiger Conservation Foundation.
• Establishment of a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF).
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority has authorised official training to deal with emergencies caused by tigers straying into human-dominated landscapes, tiger predation on livestock, and tiger active rehabilitation.
• Lidar-based survey technology is being used for the first time to address the issue of human-animal conflict, which was causing animal deaths.

Financial Steps

• Various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, such as Project Tiger and Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, provide financial and technical assistance to states.
• 51 Tiger Reserves in India generate approximately 4.3 million man-days of employment, and funds from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) are being used to promote voluntary village resettlement from core areas of the Tiger Reserves.

International Cooperation

• India and Nepal have a bilateral agreement to control transboundary illegal wildlife trade.
• India and China have signed a tiger conservation protocol.
• India and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to protect the Royal Bengal Tiger.
• For collaboration with the Russian Federation, a sub-group on tiger/leopard conservation has been formed.
• A Global Tiger Forum of Tiger Range Countries has been established to address international tiger conservation issues.
• India is a signatory to CITES. The historic decision by CITES states that "tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts and derivatives."

Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards

• CA|TS (Conservation Assured |Tiger Standards) is a globally recognised conservation tool that establishes best practises and standards for tiger management and encourages assessments to track progress.
• CA|TS is a set of criteria that enables tiger sites to determine whether their management will result in successful tiger conservation.
• CA|TS is structured around seven pillars and 17 critical management activity elements.
• CA|TS was created by tiger and protected area specialists.
• CA|TS, which was officially launched in 2013, is an important component of Tx2, the global goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022.
• CA|TS's long-term goal is to provide safe havens for tigers.
• 14 Indian Tiger Reserves have already received international CA|TS accreditation, and efforts are underway to bring more Tiger Reserves under CA|TS accreditation.

The 14 tiger reserves that have been accredited are as follows:

• Manas, Kaziranga, and Orang - Assam
• Satpura, Kanha, and Panna - Madhya Pradesh
• Pench - Maharashtra
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve - Bihar
• Dudhwa – Uttar Pradesh
• Sunderbans – West Bengal
• Parambikulam - Kerala
• Bandipur - Karnataka
• Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve – Tamil Nadu

Conclusion

Due to concerted efforts under Project Tiger, India now has the distinction of having the most tigers in the world, with 2,967 (SE range 2,603 to 3,346) as of 2018, when compared to other tiger range countries. When consistently sampled areas were compared from 2006 to 2018, tigers were found to be increasing at a rate of 6% per year in India.

FAQs

MCQs

1. When was Project Tiger launched?

A. 1965
B. 1973
C. 1980
D. 1992

Answer: (B) See the Explanation

2. What is the primary objective of Project Tiger?

A. Protecting Indian elephants
B. Ensuring sustainable agriculture
C. Conserving tigers and their natural habitats
D. Reducing air pollution

Answer: (C) See the Explanation

3. Which authority is responsible for implementing Project Tiger?

A. Ministry of Environment
B. Forest Survey of India
C. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
D. Wildlife Protection Society of India

Answer: (C) See the Explanation

4. What is the core zone in a tiger reserve?

A. A zone where all human activities are allowed
B. A zone that is exclusively for wildlife without human interference
C. A zone for agricultural activities
D. A zone for forest industries

Answer: (B) See the Explanation

5. Which of the following techniques is used in Project Tiger for monitoring tigers?

A. Satellite imaging
B. Camera traps
C. Artificial intelligence
D. Radar

Answer: (B) See the Explanation

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the significance of Project Tiger in wildlife conservation in India.

Answer: Project Tiger is one of the most successful wildlife conservation projects in India. Launched in 1973, the project focuses on conserving the Royal Bengal Tiger and protecting their habitats. The initiative has not only helped in increasing the tiger population, but also in preserving the rich biodiversity of India's forests. The core-buffer strategy ensures minimal human interference in core zones, while buffer zones allow for sustainable development. The project is critical in maintaining ecological balance and serves as a global model for large predator conservation efforts.

Q2: Analyze the challenges faced by Project Tiger in recent years.

Answer: While Project Tiger has been successful in increasing the tiger population, it faces several challenges. Poaching remains a major threat to tigers, driven by illegal wildlife trade. Habitat fragmentation due to deforestation, infrastructure development, and human encroachment has led to a decline in the contiguous tiger habitat. Additionally, conflicts between humans and tigers in buffer zones often result in casualties on both sides. Ensuring sustainable development in the buffer zones, stricter anti-poaching measures, and expanding protected areas are necessary to overcome these challenges.

Q3: Evaluate the role of technology in the success of Project Tiger.

Answer: The use of modern technology has played a crucial role in the success of Project Tiger. Camera traps, GPS collars, and satellite monitoring have allowed wildlife authorities to track tiger populations, monitor their movements, and detect poaching activities. These technologies provide real-time data on tiger behavior and habitat use, enabling better decision-making for conservation efforts. Furthermore, data analytics has helped authorities to map tiger territories and corridors, leading to more effective habitat management. Overall, technology has been an indispensable tool in ensuring the project's success.

Previous Year Questions from Project Tiger

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2019

Question: Which of the following is the primary objective of Project Tiger?
A. Protecting endangered birds
B. Conserving tigers and their habitats
C. Promoting eco-tourism
D. Reducing human-animal conflict

Answer: B

Explanation: The primary objective of Project Tiger is to conserve tigers and their habitats, ensuring their survival in the wild.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2020 (GS Paper 3)

Question: Discuss the role of Project Tiger in the context of wildlife conservation in India. How has it contributed to the protection of biodiversity?

Explanation: Project Tiger, launched in 1973, has been instrumental in the conservation of the Royal Bengal Tiger and the protection of Indian wildlife. The project has helped in increasing the tiger population and protecting tiger habitats from degradation. By adopting the core-buffer strategy, it has not only safeguarded tigers but also contributed to the conservation of other species in the same habitat, thus promoting biodiversity. The establishment of 50+ tiger reserves has created a network of protected areas that ensure the survival of multiple species and help maintain ecological balance.