National Tiger Conservation Authority facts for kids
Logo of the NTCA
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| Wildlife conservation agency overview | |
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| Formed | December 2005 |
| Parent department | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India |
| Child Wildlife conservation agency |
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| Website | https://www.tigernet.nic.in/ |
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a special group in India. It works to protect the amazing and endangered Bengal tiger. The Government of India started the NTCA in December 2005. It helps manage something called Project Tiger. It also looks after the special places called tiger reserves where tigers live safely. As of 2023, India had 3,682 wild tigers. This is almost 75% of all wild tigers in the world!
Contents
Why the NTCA Was Created
In 1973, a program called Project Tiger began in India. Its main goal was to protect the Bengal Tiger and the places where they live. It also aimed to create special tiger reserves. These reserves would help tiger populations grow.
The NTCA was officially formed in December 2005. It was set up to manage these tiger reserves. Project Tiger also became a program that received money from the central government. This funding helped set up and run the tiger reserves.
What the NTCA Does
The main reason the NTCA was created was to provide clear rules for Project Tiger. It helps make sure the project works well. The NTCA also helps the central government and state governments work together. It shares updates with the Parliament of India. It also helps people who live near tiger reserves.
The NTCA checks and approves plans from state governments. These plans show how they will protect tigers.
The NTCA also provides important help. This includes technology and legal advice for tiger protection plans. It also trains forest officers. They watch over tiger homes and count tigers and their prey. They also support research about tigers. The NTCA checks and approves projects inside tiger reserves. It creates rules for tourism in these areas. It also works with local people living near the reserves. This helps manage forest resources and reduce problems between humans and wildlife. The NTCA uses special tools like wireless communication systems. They also use infrared thermal cameras and monitoring systems. These tools help them patrol and protect tigers.
How the NTCA Is Organized
The NTCA is led by the Minister of Environment and Forests. Another minister helps as the deputy leader. Many important people are part of the NTCA.
- Secretaries from different government departments are members. These include departments for Environment, Law, and Tribal Affairs.
- Three members of Parliament are also part of the NTCA. Two are from the Lok Sabha and one from the Rajya Sabha.
- Eight experts in wildlife conservation are members. Two of these experts also know about tribal development.
- Key forest and wildlife officials are included.
- Leaders from the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes are members.
- Six chief wildlife wardens from different states join for three-year terms. They rotate to ensure fair representation.
Tiger Population in India
In 2006, a new way was used to count tigers. They used camera traps and surveys. They also used special computer maps (GIS). Based on this, they estimated there were about 1,411 tigers. This number included adult and young tigers older than 1.5 years.
By 2010, the total number of wild tigers in India was about 1,706. In 2014, the wild tiger population grew to 2,226. This was a big increase of 30.5% since 2010.
In 2018, the NTCA estimated there were between 2,603 and 3,346 wild tigers. The average was 2,967. The wild tiger population kept growing to 3,682 by 2022. India has most of the world's wild tigers. So, this increase in India helped global tiger numbers go up too. The number of wild tigers worldwide rose from 3,159 in 2010 to 3,890 in 2016. This was reported by the World Wide Fund and Global Tiger Forum.
Tiger Reserves
In 1973, nine special areas were first named as tiger reserves. By the late 1980s, this number grew to 15 reserves. These covered a much larger area. By 1997, there were 23 tiger reserves. As of March 2024, India has 55 protected areas that are tiger reserves. These are safe homes for tigers.
