Executive Summary:
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 225 concerning tiger conservation efforts in India, to be answered on 21.07.2025. It details the increase in tiger population, measures taken by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and the status of tiger conservation in Mukundra Tiger Reserve. It also includes state-wise tiger population estimations for 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Tiger Population:**
* The tiger population in India has increased to an estimated 3682 in 2022, compared to 2967 in 2018 and 2226 in 2014.
* **NTCA Measures for Tiger Conservation:**
* **Generic Measures:**
* Financial assistance to states under Project Tiger for protection, infrastructure, and anti-poaching, including Tiger Protection Force and Special Tiger Protection Force.
* Grants for patrolling tiger-rich areas outside tiger reserves.
* Dissemination of real-time information on poachers and wildlife criminals.
* Supervisory field visits by NTCA and regional offices.
* Tiger reserve level monitoring using camera traps.
* National database of individual tiger photo captures.
* Support for states to deploy local workforce for protection.
* Information sharing on seized tiger body parts among tiger range countries.
* **Security Plan:**
* NTCA has issued guidelines for Security Plans for each tiger reserve, operationalized within the Tiger Conservation Plan mandated by the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
* **Security Audit:**
* NTCA has developed a framework for assessing security threats and formulating site-specific security plans, completed in 25 tiger reserves (Phase I), with action initiated for remaining reserves.
* **MSTrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection & Ecological Status):**
* Android application with Patrol, Ecological, and Conflict modules. The Patrol module ensures accountability of frontline staff and helps strengthen protection measures.
* **Amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972:**
* Enhanced punishment for offences in core tiger reserve areas, hunting in tiger reserves, or altering reserve boundaries.
* Funding for tiger conservation, habitat management, protection, ecodevelopment, human resource and infrastructure development, and village relocation, through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.
* **Mukundra Tiger Reserve:**
* The tiger population in Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve is one (as of the 2022 estimation).
* NTCA has approved the translocation of tigers and prey into the reserve.
* Management interventions are undertaken to improve wildlife habitat quality, with funding support from the Project Tiger component of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.
Impact Analysis:
* **Tiger Range States:**
* *Impact:* Increased funding and support for tiger conservation efforts. Required to implement NTCA guidelines and utilize schemes for protection, monitoring, and habitat improvement.
* *Action Required:* Implement NTCA guidelines, utilize funding for conservation, protection, and habitat improvement, and participate in tiger estimation exercises.
* **National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for overseeing and coordinating tiger conservation efforts across the country. Must ensure the effective implementation of guidelines, monitoring systems, and funding schemes.
* *Action Required:* Continue to provide guidance, funding, and support to tiger range states. Monitor the implementation of conservation plans and assess the effectiveness of different measures.
* **Local Communities:**
* *Impact:* Involvement in protection efforts is crucial. Benefit from ecodevelopment initiatives and employment opportunities related to tiger conservation.
* *Action Required:* Participate in conservation efforts, support anti-poaching activities, and contribute to monitoring efforts.
Key Entities Referenced
National Tiger Conservation Authority: A statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, responsible for tiger conservation in India.
Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan: A tiger reserve located in Rajasthan, India, mentioned in the context of tiger conservation efforts and population status.
Project Tiger: A centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India for tiger conservation.
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: An act of the Parliament of India enacted in 1972 for the protection of plants and animal species.
Central Indian Landscape Complex: One of the tiger landscapes in India, encompassing multiple states, for which tiger population estimations are provided.
Western Ghats Landscape Complex: One of the tiger landscapes in India, encompassing multiple states, for which tiger population estimations are provided.
MSTrIPES: Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status, an android application used for tiger monitoring and protection.
All India Tiger Estimation: A periodic assessment of the tiger population across India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 225
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025
National Tiger Conservation Authority
225. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) the current population of tigers in the country and whether there has been any increase
or decrease in the recent years and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of the specific measures taken by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA) to enhance the tiger conservation efforts across the country and the
manner in which these measures contributed to the overall population trends;
(c) the current status of tiger conservation in the Mukundra Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan
and whether there has been any progress in the efforts to boost the tiger population in
this reserve;
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken/being taken to address the
challenges specific to this region; and
(e) the measures taken by the NTCA to ensure the protection and monitoring of tigers in
lesser-known or smaller reserves like Mukundra along with the role played by the
local communities in these conservation efforts?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) The tiger population has increased as per the All India Tiger Estimation done in
2022, with an estimated number of 3682 (range 3167-3925) as compared to the
2018 estimation of 2967 (range 2603-3346) and 2014 estimation of 2226 (range
1945-2491). The details of tiger estimation pertaining to tiger landscapes in the
country, for the years 2014, 2018 and 2022 is at Annexure-I.
(b) The steps taken by the Government of India through the National Tiger
Conservation Authority (NTCA) for conservation and protection of tigers is as
under:-
1. Generic measures
Providing assistance to States under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of
“Project Tiger” for protection, infrastructure and antipoaching operations
(including deployment of Tiger Protection Force and Special Tiger
Protection Force), which is now ongoing as the Centrally Sponsored
Scheme of Project Tiger & Elephant Providing grant through NTCA for patrolling in tiger rich sensitive forest
areas outside tiger reserves besides under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme
of Project Tiger & Elephant
Disseminating of real time information of backward / forward linkages
relating to poachers / wildlife criminals.
Performing supervisory field visits through the National Tiger Conservation
Authority and its regional offices
Launching tiger reserve level monitoring using camera trap to keep a photo
ID database of individual tigers
Preparing a national database of individual tiger photo captures to establish
linkage with body parts seized or dead tigers
Assisting States to deploy local workforce in a big way for protection to
complement the efforts of field staff [In all, approximately 43 lakh mandays
are generated annually]
Sharing of information on seizure of body parts including skin of tigers
among tiger range countries to ascertain source area.
2. Security Plan
The National Tiger Conservation Authority has issued generic guidelines for
formulating a Security Plan for each tiger reserve which is operationalized in the
overarching Tiger Conservation Plan which is legally mandated under section 38
V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
3. Security Audit
The National Tiger Conservation Authority has developed a framework for
carrying out the assessment of the security threats and for formulating site
specific security plan which has been completed in 25 different tiger reserves in
Phase-I and action has been initiated for the remaining tiger reserves.
4. M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers Intensive-Protection &
Ecological Status)
This is an android application which has three distinct modules namely Patrol
module, Ecological module and Conflict module. The Patrol module inter-alia is
a mechanism to ensure accountability of front line staff vis-à-vis anti-poaching
efforts and useful for the tiger reserve management to strengthen protection
measures, based on data that is generated through M-STrIPES.
5. Amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
The Government of India amended the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and
enhanced punishment for offence in relation to the core area of a tiger reserve or
where the offence relates to hunting in the tiger reserves or altering the
boundaries of tiger reserves.
Further, funding assistance is provided under the Project Tiger
Component of the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Integrated
Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-IDWH) to tiger range States for
conservation of tigers, raising awareness on tiger & other wildlife conservation,
habitat management, protection, eco-development, human resource and
infrastructure development, voluntary village relocation, as per sanctionedAnnual Plan of Operation of the Tiger Reserve, which stems out from a statutory
Tiger Conservation Plan.
(c) to (e) As per the All India Tiger Estimation done in 2022 the population of tigers in
Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve is one. Further the NTCA has approved
translocation of tigers and its prey in Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR).
Further, The Government of India has notified the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (Normative Standards for Tourism and Project Tiger) Guidelines, 2012
for management of tigers & their habitats along with advisories and Standard
Operating Procedures for protection and conservation of tigers.
Also as per Tiger Conservation Plans, need based and site-specific
management interventions are undertaken by the tiger reserves for improving the
quality of wildlife habitat and funding support for these activities is provided
under the Project Tiger component of the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme
of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.
*****Annexure-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE OF THE LOK
SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 225 ON NATIONAL TIGER
CONSERVATION AUTHORITY DUE FOR REPLY ON 21.07.2025
Details of tiger estimation pertaining to tiger landscapes in the country,
for the years 2014, 2018 and 2022 (As per All India Tiger Estimation Reports)
State Tiger Population
2014 2018 2022
Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex
Uttarakhand 340 442 560
Uttar Pradesh 117 173 205
Bihar 28 31 54
Shivalik Gangetic 485 646 819
Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex
Andhra Pradesh 68 48 63
Telangana - 26 21
Chhattisgarh 46 19 17
Madhya Pradesh 308 526 785
Maharashtra 190 312 444
Odisha 28 28 20
Rajasthan 45 69 88
Jharkhand 3 5 1
Central India 688 1033 1439
Western Ghats Landscape Complex
Karnataka 406 524 563
Kerala 136 190 213
Tamil Nadu 229 264 306
Goa 5 3 5
Western Ghats 776 981 1087
North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains
Assam 167 190 229
Arunachal Pradesh 28 29 9
Mizoram 3 0 0
Nagaland - 0 0
Northern West Bengal 3 0 2
North East Hills, and 201 219 236
Brahmaputra
Sunderbans 76 88 101
TOTAL 2226 2967 3682
*****