National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

IN NEWS:

• The Union Environment Ministry has said that four surveys by NTCA since 2006 have shown a healthy annual growth rate of 6 per cent in India's tiger population.

WHAT IS NTCA?

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority 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.

STRUCTURE OF NTCA:

• National Tiger Conservation Authority is set up under the Chairmanship of the Minister for Environment and Forests.
• The Authority will have eight experts or professionals having qualifications and experience in wildlife conservation and welfare of people including tribals, apart from three Members of Parliament.
• The Inspector General of Forests, in charge of project Tiger, will be ex-officio Member Secretary.

OBJECTIVES OF NTCA:

• Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance of its directives become legal.
• Fostering accountability of Center-State in management of Tiger Reserves, by providing a basis for MoU with States within our federal structure.
• Providing for an oversight by Parliament.
• Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.

POWERS AND FUNCTIONS

• Approve the tiger conservation plan prepared by the State Government.
• Ensure that the tiger reserves areas are not diverted for ecologically unsustainable uses,
• Except in public interest and with the approval of the National Board for Wild Life and on the advice of the Tiger Conservation Authority;
• Lay down normative standards for tourism activities and guidelines for project tiger from time to time for tiger conservation in the buffer and core area of tiger reserves.
• Facilitate and support the tiger reserve management in the State for biodiversity conservation initiatives through eco-development and people’s participation.
• NTCA is responsible for conducting Tiger census. NTCA has also created a mobile app, M-STrIPES (Monitoring System For Tigers-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) to make data gathering easier and more transparent.

PROJECT TIGER:

• Project Tiger is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government of India which was launched on the 1st of April, 1973 for in-situ conservation of wild tigers in designated tiger reserves.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Consider the following statements regarding National Tiger Conservation Authority:

1. It is set up under the Chairmanship of Prime minister
2. It is responsible for conducting tiger census of India

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer B

">Answer to Prelims question