National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
2020 JUN 8
Preliminary >
Environment and Ecology > National environmental initiatives > National initiatives and institutions
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:
- It is set up under the Chairmanship of Prime minister
- It is responsible for conducting tiger census of India
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer B
">Answer to Prelims question