Tiger Reserve Conservation: 25 of 58 Reserves Flagged for Priority Intervention

The Government of India flagged 25 of 58 tiger reserves across the country as requiring priority intervention due to low or completely absent tiger populations. This assessment represents the latest conservation status evaluation and indicates uneven progress in Project Tiger, India's flagship wildlife conservation initiative launched in 1973. Key context: India is home to approximately 70% of the world's wild tigers. The tiger population has recovered from an estimated 1,200 in 1972 to around 3,700 in recent counts, a significant achievement. However, the identification of 25 struggling reserves suggests geographic concentration of tigers in some reserves while others remain unproductive. Issues likely include habitat degradation, poaching, prey depletion, and management inefficiencies. Exam relevance includes biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection mechanisms under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, environmental policy, and sustainable development goals. The reserve-wise variation also raises questions about reserve management effectiveness, funding allocation, and inter-state coordination. UPSC questions frequently test knowledge of Project Tiger, protected area management, and India's conservation commitments. This finding is relevant for discussing conservation strategy efficacy, habitat restoration priorities, and the need for adaptive management approaches.