India’s latest tiger reserves + UPSC?.ToString()?? UPSC?.ToString()+" Current Affairs";

Why in news?
On December 2, India got its 57th tiger reserve in the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh, following in-principle approval from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
Key Takeaways :
1. Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh has a core area of ​​763.8 sq km, buffer area of ​​507.6 sq km and total area of ​​1271.4 sq km. Now, there are Eight tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh.
2. A tiger reserve in India is a designated area established under the Project Tiger initiative to ensure the conservation of tigers and their habitats. These reserves are part of the government’s efforts to protect the tiger population, maintain biodiversity, and restore ecological balance.
3. Tiger reserves consist of extensive areas of land that include both a core zone and a buffer zone. The core area is designated as a national park or sanctuary, providing strict protections for wildlife. In contrast, the buffer zone is a mix of forested and non-forested land that serves various uses. These buffer zones act as transitional areas that support wildlife movement and habitat.
4. Presently, there are 57 tiger reserves in India, spread across around 82,000 sq kilometres and accounting for over 2.3 per cent of India’s geographical area, as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
National Tiger Conservation Authority:
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it under the said Act. The NTCA conducts the All India Tiger Estimation to track the big cat numbers, usually in cycles of four years. As per the 5th cycle summary report of 2022, India has a minimum of 3,167 tigers and is home to more than 70% of the world’s wild tiger population.
Process of Creating a Tiger Reserve:
1. The state government identifies a suitable area for a tiger reserve based on the presence of a viable tiger population and appropriate habitat. Ecological assessments are conducted, which include studies on the prey base, vegetation, and the area’s potential to support tigers.
2. The state prepares a detailed proposal that includes maps, ecological studies, and management plans. This proposal is submitted to the NTCA, which reviews and approves it before forwarding it to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for further consideration.
3. Once this process is complete, the state government issues a preliminary notification under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, declaring the identified area as a tiger reserve.
4. After addressing any objections or proposed modifications, the state issues a final notification under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, formalizing the establishment of the reserve. Notably, As per section 38W of the Act, once the notification comes “no State Government shall de-notify a tiger reserve, except in public interest with the approval of the Tiger Conservation Authority and the National Board for Wild Life”.
Conservation of Tiger (Panthera Tigris):
1. The IUCN status of the tiger is endangered, and it is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
2. India has been actively collaborating with neighbouring countries to enhance transboundary conservation efforts like India-Bangladesh to promote tiger conservation across the Sundarbans landscape.
3. International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) was launched by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in 2023 to promote the protection of seven big cats: the tiger, leopard, snow leopard, lion, cheetah, puma and jaguar during a program honouring 50 years of Project Tiger. The alliance seeks to establish contact with a spectrum of countries that surround these large cats’ native habitats. The IBCA aims to increase international collaboration and conservation efforts for these untamed inhabitants.
Project Tiger:
1. The ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, in a bid to promote conservation of the tiger. The programme came at a time when India’s tiger population was rapidly dwindling. According to reports, while there were 40,000 tigers in the country at the time of the Independence, they were soon reduced to below 2,000 by 1970 due to their widespread hunting and poaching.
2. To tackle the problem of hunting and poaching of not just tigers but also other animals and birds, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi promulgated the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972. A year later, after a task force urged the government to create a chain of reserves dedicated to tiger preservation, government unveiled Project Tiger.
3. Launched at the Jim Corbett National Park, the programme was initially started in nine tiger reserves of different States such as Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, covering over 14,000 sq km.
4. Notably, Project Tiger didn’t just focus on the conservation of the big cats. It also ensured the preservation of their natural habitat as tigers are at the top of the food chain.

List of Tiger Reserves in India (As of December 2024)
Sl No	Tiger Reserve (TR)	State	TR Notification Year
1	Bandipur	Karnataka	2007
2	Corbett	Uttarakhand	2010
	Amanagarh buffer	Uttar Pradesh	2012
3	Kanha	Madhya Pradesh	2007
4	Manas	Assam	2008
5	Melghat	Maharashtra	2007
6	Palamau	Jharkhand	2012
7	Ranthambore	Rajasthan	2007
8	Simlipal	Orissa	2007
9	Sunderban	West Bengal	2007
10	Periyar	Kerala	2007
11	Sariska	Rajasthan	2007
12	Buxa	West Bengal	2009
13	Indravati	Chattisgarh	2009
14	Namdapha	Arunachal Pradesh	1987
15	Nagarjunsagar Sagar	Andhra Pradesh	2007
16	Dudhwa	Uttar Pradesh	2010
17	Kalakad Mundanthurai	Tamil Nadu	2007
18	Valmiki	Bihar	2012
19	Pench	Madhy Pradesh	2007
20	Tadobha Andhari	Maharashtra	2007
21	Bandhavgarh	Madhy Pradesh	2007
22	Panna	Madhy Pradesh	2007
23	Dampa	Mizoram	2007
24	Bhadra	Karnataka	2007
25	Pench – MH	Maharashtra	2007
26	Pakke	Arunachal Pradesh	2012
27	Nameri	Assam	2000
28	Satpura	Madhya Pradesh	2007
29	Anamalai	Tamil Nadu	2007
30	Udanti Sitanadi	Chattisgarh	2009
31	Satkoshia	Odisha	2007
32	Kaziranga	Assam	2007
33	Achanakmar	Chattisgarh	2009
34	Kali	Karnataka	2007
35	Sanjay Dhubri	Madhya Pradesh	2011
36	Mudumalai	Tamil Nadu	2007
37	Nagarhole	Karnataka	2007
38	Parambikulam	Kerala	2009
39	Sahyadri	Maharashtra	2012
40	Biligiri Ranganatha Temple	Karnataka	2007
41	Kawal	Telangana	2012
42	Sathyamangalam	Tamil Nadu	2013
43	Mukundara	Rajasthan	2013
44	Nawegaon Nagzira	Maharashtra	2013
45	Amrabad	Telangana	2015
46	Pilibhit	Uttar Pradesh	2014
47	Bor	Maharashtra	2012
48	Rajaji	Uttarakhand	2015
49	Orang	Assam	2016
50	Kamlang	Arunachal Pradesh	2017
51	Srivilliputhur Megamalai	Tamil Nadu	2021
52	Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve	Rajasthan	2022
53	Ranipur Tiger Reserve	Uttar Pradesh	2022
54	Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve	Madhya Pradesh	2023
55	Dholpur – Karauli Tiger Reserve	Rajasthan	2023
56	Guru Ghasidas – Tamor Pingla Tiger Resereve	Chhattisgarh	2024
57	Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary	Madhya Pradesh	2024