Conservation Projects in India & Complete Revision
All major species conservation projects + complete Chapter 03 master revision checklist.
| Project | Year | Species | Key Location / Body |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Tiger | 1973 | Bengal Tiger | Jim Corbett (first); NTCA; 54 reserves |
| Project Elephant | 1992 | Asian Elephant | 33 reserves; 10 states; MoEFCC |
| Project Crocodile | 1975 | Mugger, Saltwater, Gharial | Chambal, Bhitarkanika, Sundarbans |
| Project Snow Leopard | 2009 | Snow Leopard | 5 Himalayan states; ~400โ700 in India |
| Project Hangul | 1970 | Kashmir Stag (Hangul) | Dachigam NP, J&K; critically endangered |
| Cheetah Reintroduction | 2022 | Cheetah (African) | Kuno NP, MP; 20 cheetahs from Namibia & SA |
| Project Dolphin | 2020 | Gangetic & Marine Dolphin | Ganga river system; National Aquatic Animal |
| Sea Turtle Conservation | Ongoing | Olive Ridley Turtle | Gahirmatha, Odisha; Arribada nesting |
| Project Vulture | 2006 | Vultures (9 species) | Diclofenac ban; Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre |
| Project Bustard | 2015 | Great Indian Bustard | Rajasthan; critically endangered; <150 left |
Project Tiger
Launched April 1, 1973 by PM Indira Gandhi. First reserve: Jim Corbett. Managed by NTCA (statutory body under WPA 1972, established 2005). India has 54 tiger reserves covering ~75,000 sq km. Tiger census 2022: ~3,167 tigers. India holds ~75% of world’s wild tigers. MP is the “Tiger State” with 6 reserves.
Project Elephant
Launched 1992. 33 elephant reserves across 10 states. Population: ~27,000โ30,000 (India has ~60% of Asia’s wild elephants). Elephant declared National Heritage Animal in 2010. 101 elephant corridors identified. Key states: Karnataka, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu. Largest reserve: Mayurbhanj, Odisha.
Project Crocodile
Launched 1975 with UNDP assistance. Three species: Mugger (freshwater), Saltwater/Estuarine (largest reptile), Gharial (critically endangered; fish-eating; long snout). Key sanctuaries: National Chambal Sanctuary (Gharial), Bhitarkanika (Saltwater), Sundarbans (Saltwater). Gharial population critically low (~650 in wild).
Project Snow Leopard
Launched 2009. Covers 5 Himalayan states: J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh. India has ~400โ700 snow leopards. Key habitats: Hemis NP (Ladakh), Pin Valley NP (HP), Khangchendzonga BR (Sikkim). Snow Leopard is Schedule I species under WPA.
Project Hangul (Kashmir Stag)
Launched 1970 โ one of India’s earliest conservation projects. Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu) is the state animal of J&K. Critically endangered โ fewer than 300 individuals. Confined to Dachigam National Park near Srinagar. Threats: habitat loss, poaching, human disturbance.
Cheetah Reintroduction Project
Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952. On September 17, 2022 (PM Modi’s birthday), 8 cheetahs from Namibia were released at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. Subsequently, 12 more from South Africa arrived in 2023 (total 20). This is the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore. African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) introduced, not Asiatic Cheetah (critically endangered, ~12 left in Iran).
Project Dolphin
Announced by PM Modi on Independence Day 2020. Covers both Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica โ National Aquatic Animal since 2009) and Marine Dolphins. Gangetic Dolphin is blind; navigates by echolocation. Key habitats: Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (Bihar), Chambal river. Threats: pollution, fishing nets, dams.
Sea Turtle Conservation โ Olive Ridley
Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) is the most abundant sea turtle. Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary (Odisha) is the world’s largest Olive Ridley nesting site. Mass nesting called Arribada (Spanish: arrival). Other nesting sites: Rushikulya, Devi river mouth (Odisha). Threats: trawling, light pollution, coastal development. TED (Turtle Excluder Device) mandatory for trawlers.
- Project Vulture (2006): Diclofenac (veterinary drug) banned in 2006 after causing 99% vulture population crash; Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore (Haryana)
- Great Indian Bustard (GIB): Critically endangered; <150 left; Desert NP (Rajasthan); threat from power lines; Supreme Court ordered underground cables
- Gangetic Gharial: National Chambal Sanctuary (MP, UP, Rajasthan); critically endangered; ~650 in wild
- Blackbuck: Velavadar NP (Gujarat); Tal Chhapar WLS (Rajasthan); protected under Schedule I
- Dugong: Sea cow; Gulf of Mannar; Schedule I; only marine mammal herbivore in India
- Red Panda: Singalila NP (WB), Khangchendzonga (Sikkim); Schedule I; IUCN Endangered
๐ Chapter 03 โ Protected Areas & Wildlife Conservation
โ NP: no human activity; WLS: some activities permitted
โ India: 106 NPs + 567 WLS
โ Jim Corbett โ first NP (1936); Hemis โ largest; South Button โ smallest
โ Kaziranga (rhino), Gir (Asiatic lion), Sundarbans (tiger), Valley of Flowers โ UNESCO WHS
โ Bandhavgarh โ highest tiger density; Kanha โ Barasingha
โ UNESCO MAB Programme (1971); India: 18 BRs; 12 in UNESCO WNBR
โ Three zones: Core โ Buffer โ Transition
โ First BR: Nilgiri (1986); First in WNBR: Nilgiri (2000); Latest: Panna (2020)
โ Largest BR: Gulf of Mannar; Nokrek โ citrus gene sanctuary
โ Ramsar Convention 1971 (Iran); entered force 1975; Secretariat: Gland, Switzerland
โ World Wetlands Day: February 2
โ India: 75 Ramsar sites (2023); first (1981): Chilika + Keoladeo Ghana
โ Chilika โ largest brackish lagoon Asia; Loktak โ phumdis + Sangai; Wular โ largest freshwater lake India
โ Montreux Record: Keoladeo Ghana + Loktak
โ Project Tiger: April 1, 1973; PM Indira Gandhi; first reserve: Jim Corbett
โ NTCA: statutory body under WPA 1972 (2006 amendment)
โ 54 Tiger Reserves; Tiger Census 2022: ~3,167; India = ~75% world’s tigers
โ Project Elephant 1992: 33 reserves; ~27,000โ30,000 elephants; National Heritage Animal (2010)
โ WPA 1972: enacted September 9, 1972; 2022 amendment: 6โ4 schedules
โ Schedule I: Tiger, Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Snow Leopard, Gharial
โ Schedule V (old): Vermin โ Crow, Fruit Bat, Rat, Myna
โ Schedule VI (old): Plants โ Beddome’s Cycad, Blue Vanda, Pitcher Plant, Kuth
โ CITES: 1963/1975; Appendix I = banned; II = regulated; III = cooperation
โ NTCA, WCCB, CZA, NBWL (chaired by PM)
โ Project Crocodile (1975): Mugger, Saltwater, Gharial; Chambal sanctuary
โ Project Snow Leopard (2009): 5 Himalayan states; ~400โ700 in India
โ Project Hangul (1970): Kashmir Stag; Dachigam NP; <300 individuals
โ Cheetah Reintroduction (2022): Kuno NP, MP; 20 African cheetahs; first intercontinental translocation
โ Project Dolphin (2020): Gangetic Dolphin = National Aquatic Animal (2009)
โ Olive Ridley: Gahirmatha (Odisha); Arribada = mass nesting; TED mandatory
โ Project Vulture (2006): Diclofenac banned; Jatayu Centre, Pinjore
โ GIB: <150 left; Desert NP, Rajasthan; critically endangered