NATIONAL
TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY (NTCA) - ENVIRONMENT
News: Inadequate
space for cheetahs in MP’s Kuno National Park, claims ex-WII official
What's in the news?
● Madhya
Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP),
which has seen the death of two cheetahs
in less than a month, has “inadequate space” for these felines brought from
Africa, a former official of the Wildlife Institute of India has claimed.
Key takeaways:
● The
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA),
which is overseeing the ambitious cheetah reintroduction project in the
country, has called a meeting in New Delhi in the wake of the death of two
cheetahs out of the 20 felines translocated to KNP from Namibia and South
Africa over the last eight months.
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
● It
is a statutory body under the
Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
● It
was established in 2006 under Wildlife
(Protection) Act 1972.
Objectives:
● Providing
statutory authority to Project Tiger
so that compliance of its directives becomes legal.
● Fostering
accountability of Center-State in
management of Tiger Reserves by providing a basis for MoU with States
within the federal structure.
● Providing
for an oversight by Parliament.
● Addressing
livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.
NTCA Members:
● Minister
in charge of MoEFCC (as Chairperson),
● Minister of State
in MoEFCC (as Vice-Chairperson),
● Three
members of Parliament, the Secretary
(MoEFCC), and other members.