Definition
Project Tiger is a flagship Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Government of India for protecting viable tiger populations in their natural habitats. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is the key statutory body overseeing tiger conservation and tiger reserve management.
Exam-ready points
- Project Tiger is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- According to the 28 July 2026 PIB backgrounder citing the NTCA report, India has 58 tiger reserves across 18 tiger-range States.
- The 2022 All India Tiger Estimation placed India’s tiger population at 3,682.
- NTCA provides scientific, technical and financial guidance to tiger-range States and approves tiger conservation plans.
- Tiger conservation uses tools such as M-STrIPES, camera traps and periodic reserve-management evaluation.
Common mistakes
- Do not confuse Project Tiger with the NTCA; one is the flagship scheme and the other is the statutory authority.
- Do not treat every protected area as a tiger reserve.
- Do not memorize figures without linking them to the source year, especially tiger population estimates.
Difficulty
Foundation
Revision time
About 9 minutes
Self-check questions
- What is the difference between Project Tiger and the NTCA?
- Why are M-STrIPES and camera traps important for tiger conservation?
- Why should tiger population figures always be tied to the estimation year?