Why is it in the news?

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2023 achieved significant milestones showcasing its commitment to tiger conservation and biodiversity.

 More about the news

• The Centrally Sponsored Scheme – Project Tiger, aimed at the recovery of endangered wild tigers in India, celebrated its 50th successful year of implementation.
• India’s wild tiger population surpasses 70% of the global total, with a minimum of 3,167 tigers, as per the 5th cycle of the All-India Tiger Estimation 2022 summary report.
• The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was inaugurated by the Prime Minister to foster collaborative efforts among range countries for the conservation of seven major big cat species: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma.
• Successful reintroduction of cheetahs through the translocation project from South Africa and Namibia to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. Progress is underway at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary for establishing a second home for cheetah meta-population.
• Tiger Reserves undergo Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) every four years by NTCA following the IUCN framework, enhancing management and landscape connectivity.
• Declaration of the new “Rani Durgavati” Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, bringing the total number of tiger reserves in India to 54, covering over 2.30% of the country’s geographical area.
• Twenty-three tiger reserves in India received Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS) accreditation, ensuring they meet international standards for successful conservation.
• Pench Tiger Reserves in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, along with Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, jointly received the Tx2 award in 2022-23. This international recognition is conferred by a consortium of organizations including Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and Global Tiger Forum (GTF).