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PIB released a Backgrounder ahead of International Tiger Day (29 July) highlighting India's status as home to nearly 70% of the world's wild tigers.
India's tiger population, per the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) 2022, stands at 3,682 across 58 tiger reserves in 18 states covering ~84,500 sq km (2.56% of India's area).
The backgrounder details India's institutional architecture (Project Tiger, NTCA), tech-driven monitoring (M-STrIPES, AI camera-trap tools) and global partnerships (Global Tiger Forum, International Big Cat Alliance, ITHCP).
International Tiger Day traces to the 2010 St. Petersburg Tiger Summit's Tx2 goal to double wild tiger numbers by 2022; global tiger numbers have risen from ~3,200 in 2010 to an estimated 5,711 today, a 78% increase.
Secure viable wild tiger populations in their natural habitats
Key: Flagship Centrally Sponsored Scheme under MoEFCC, launched 1 April 1973 at Jim Corbett National Park (India's first tiger reserve); now covers 58 reserves across 18 states (~84,500 sq km, 2.56% of India's area)
Quadrennial national tiger census
Key: Led by NTCA with the Wildlife Institute of India; the 2022 round covered 20 states and included India's first nationwide ungulate (prey species) survey
Global cooperation to conserve seven big cat species
Key: Union Cabinet approved 12 March 2024; 95 member countries/partners; Secretariat headquartered in India; covers tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma
Support science-based tiger landscape conservation across Asia
Key: IUCN's flagship tiger initiative, funded by the German Government via KfW Development Bank; India participates in priority tiger-landscape projects
Statutory body overseeing Project Tiger; approves Tiger Conservation Plans and issues reserve-management SOPs
World's only intergovernmental organisation dedicated exclusively to tiger conservation
Statutory body to combat wildlife crime, created alongside NTCA by the same 2006 amendment
Constitutes the NTCA, following Tiger Task Force recommendations that also created the WCCB
Mandates every state to prepare a Tiger Conservation Plan for each reserve, covering Core/Critical Tiger Habitat and Buffer Area
Each tiger reserve has a Core Area (Critical Tiger Habitat) with the highest protection and minimal human activity, and a surrounding Buffer Area that balances conservation with sustainable local livelihoods. Wildlife corridors link reserves for safe tiger movement across landscapes.
Simple Analogy: Like a fortress (Core) surrounded by a controlled-access zone (Buffer) that still permits regulated everyday activity.
| Organisation | Membership | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| NTCA | India only (statutory) | Approves Tiger Conservation Plans, monitors reserve management within India |
| Global Tiger Forum | 13 tiger-range countries, HQ New Delhi | Intergovernmental cooperation exclusively for tiger conservation |
| International Big Cat Alliance | 95 countries/partners, Secretariat in India | All 7 big cat species — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, puma |
| ITHCP (IUCN) | Asia-wide tiger landscapes, funded by Germany/KfW | Project funding for priority tiger-habitat conservation |
Another big-cat conservation flagship under MoEFCC, relevant to IBCA's mandate covering all seven big cat species
Comparable landscape-scale, internationally-linked conservation designations administered alongside Tiger Reserves
GS Paper 3 > Environment & Biodiversity Conservation; GS Paper 2 > Government Policies & Interventions
The term 'M-STrIPES' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of
Answer: Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
When was "Project Tiger" launched in India?
Answer: 1973
"Project Tiger" was launched in India in which year?
Answer: 1973
Recently there was a proposal to translocate some of the lions from their natural habitat in Gujarat to which one of the following sites?
Answer: Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary
Consider the following pairs: Wildlife : Naturally found in 1. Blue-finned Mahseer : Cauvery River 2. Irrawaddy Dolphin : Chambal River 3. Rusty-spotted Cat : Eastern Ghats Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Answer: 1 and 3 only
Recurring — tiger conservation and IBCA have both appeared in recent Prelims cycles
All India Tiger Estimation — India's quadrennial national tiger census led by NTCA and the Wildlife Institute of India
Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards — a global accreditation for well-managed tiger reserves; 23 Indian reserves are accredited