Maarg Manthan · Topic 20.1

National Parks, Tiger Reserves and Elephant Reserves of India

Environment & Ecology › Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment · Topic 20.1

National parks, tiger reserves and elephant reserves are three kinds of protected habitat in India, each with a different legal basis. A national park is an area of high ecological, faunal, floral or geomorphological value declared by the state government, and later by notification under Section 35 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, with stronger protection than a sanctuary: grazing, private rights and human activity are not allowed, and boundaries are fixed by law. India has more than 100 national parks, covering roughly 1.5 percent of the country's area by recent counts. The first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. A tiger reserve is declared under Section 38V of the Act on the advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, with a core or critical tiger habitat free of human use and a buffer zone of multiple use. Project Tiger was launched on 1 April 1973 with nine reserves and Jim Corbett as the first, and the NTCA became a statutory body in 2006. India has over 50 tiger reserves, and the 2022 all-India estimate counted about 3,167 tigers, a figure to be checked against the latest cycle. Elephant reserves are administrative units under Project Elephant, launched in 1992 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with 33 elephant reserves by recent lists; they have no separate statute, and the elephant was declared the National Heritage Animal in 2010. Hedge details: counts change as new areas are notified, so check the latest MoEFCC and NTCA lists.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment

At a Glance

First national park Hailey, now Jim Corbett, 1936
Project Tiger 1 April 1973
Project Elephant 1992
Tiger reserve law Section 38V
National park law Section 35
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment

Where Does It Fit?

This topic opens the macro of lists and special topics and builds on the institutions in the previous macro, especially the National Board for Wildlife and the Wildlife Protection Act. Previous topic: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environment Protection. Next topic: MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) Sites in India.

How Do the Three Types of Protected Habitat Differ?

Category	Details
National park	Declared under Section 35 of the Wildlife Act; no grazing, no private rights; boundaries fixed by law; first in 1936 (Jim Corbett)
Wildlife sanctuary	Declared under Section 26A; some human activity may continue with permission; a lower grade of protection
Tiger reserve	Declared under Section 38V on advice of the NTCA; a core or critical tiger habitat and a buffer zone
Elephant reserve	Declared by the state under Project Elephant; no separate legal status; aims to protect elephant movement
Project Tiger	Launched 1 April 1973 with nine reserves; NTCA statutory since 2006
Project Elephant	Launched 1992; 33 reserves by recent lists; elephant is the National Heritage Animal since 2010
Area and number	Over 100 national parks, over 50 tiger reserves, about 33 elephant reserves; check latest counts

Which Examples Should You Remember?

Jim Corbett: first national park and first tiger reserve, in Uttarakhand
Kaziranga: Assam; one-horned rhinoceros; also a tiger reserve and a World Heritage Site
Gir: Gujarat; Asiatic lion
Hemis: Ladakh; among the largest national parks; snow leopard
Sundarbans: West Bengal; mangrove tiger reserve and national park
Periyar: Kerala; tiger and elephant reserve
Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam: among the largest tiger reserves by area
Singhbhum: first elephant reserve, in Jharkhand

What Else Should You Remember?

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: the main law for wildlife and protected areas
Protected area network: national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and community reserves
Section 35: national parks
Section 26A: wildlife sanctuaries
Section 36A: conservation reserves, introduced in 2002
Section 36C: community reserves
Section 38V: tiger reserves
Core area: inviolate, free of human use
Buffer zone: multiple-use area around the core with coexistence
Critical tiger habitat: core areas notified after expert committee
NTCA: statutory body since 2006 under the 2006 amendment
Tiger Conservation Foundation: supports management at each reserve
Tiger census: done every four years; the 2022 estimate counted 3,167 tigers by camera traps
Global share: India holds most of the world’s wild tigers
Tiger reserves list: include Corbett, Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench, Sundarbans, Periyar and others
Elephant census: 2017 estimate was 27,312; check latest figures
Elephant corridor: strips of land linking habitats; identified by the Wildlife Trust of India and the ministry
Man-elephant conflict: crop damage, deaths and railway accidents
Gaj Yatra: 2017 campaign for elephant awareness
Elephant Task Force: the Gajah report of 2010 recommended the heritage animal status
Tiger relocation: translocation programmes, such as to Satkosia and Madhav
Cheetah introduction: cheetahs were brought to Kuno National Park in 2022
Exam link: ask which section governs which area
Link to previous: see Corporate Social Responsibility and Environment Protection
Link to next: see MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) Sites in India
Link to institution: see National Board for Wildlife
Caution: numbers keep changing with new notifications, so check MoEFCC and NTCA
Exam hint: remember sections 35 and 38V, 1973, 1992 and 1936
Jim Corbett: India’s oldest national park, in Uttarakhand, established in 1936 and part of Project Tiger from its start
Rights settlement: Before a national park is notified, the Forest Rights Act and Wildlife Act require rights of people to be settled
Voluntary relocation: Villages inside core areas can move out by consent with a package under the Tiger Conservation scheme
Eco-sensitive zones: Land around protected areas is notified as an eco-sensitive zone, usually up to 10 km, to regulate activities
Tourism rules: NTCA guidelines limit tourist numbers and activity in core and buffer areas
Anti-poaching: Special Tiger Protection Force and the M-STrIPES monitoring system support patrolling
Funding: Project Tiger and Project Elephant are centrally sponsored schemes with state sharing
Wildlife corridors: Linear infrastructure such as roads and railways must include mitigation structures like underpasses
Human-wildlife conflict: Compensation, early warning and community engagement reduce retaliation

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

National park: Section 35
Tiger reserve: Section 38V, 1973
Elephant: Project Elephant, 1992
Current affairs link: New tiger reserves and cheetah project
Common errors: saying elephant reserves have statutory status

As an analytical point, the three categories overlap: a single area can be a national park, tiger reserve and World Heritage Site. The degree of legal protection, however, is highest for the core of a tiger reserve and lowest for elephant reserves.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Law Different sections
Core No human use
Corridor Movement

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the MIKE sites in India. Next topic: MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) Sites in India.

Key People and Terms

NP National park
CTH Critical tiger habitat
NTCA National Tiger Conservation Authority
ER Elephant reserve
Buffer Multiple-use zone
Corridor Habitat link

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

National park: Section 35.
Tiger reserve: Section 38V.
Project Tiger: 1973.
Project Elephant: 1992.
First park: 1936.

Do Not Confuse With

National park and sanctuary Stricter versus lower protection
Core and buffer Inviolate versus multiple-use zone
Tiger reserve and elephant reserve Statutory versus administrative

Memory Hook

Thirty-five parks, thirty-eight V tigers; seventy-three Tiger, ninety-two Elephant.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for sections, years and firsts. These points help.

Types Three categories
Law Sections
Issues Conflict

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Distinguish between national parks, tiger reserves and elephant reserves in India.”

How to Answer

Types Three.
Law Sections.
Zones Core, buffer.
Issues Conflict.

GS Relevance

Prelims: legal basis, firsts, counts, Project Tiger and Project Elephant. GS Paper 3: conservation of protected areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a national park in India?

A national park is an area of high ecological, faunal, floral or geomorphological value declared under Section 35 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Grazing, private rights and human activity are not allowed, and its boundaries are fixed by law. The first one was Hailey National Park, now Jim Corbett, in 1936.

What is a tiger reserve?

A tiger reserve is an area notified under Section 38V of the Wildlife Act on the advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. It has a core or critical tiger habitat that is free of human use and a surrounding buffer zone where people and wildlife coexist. Project Tiger started in 1973 with nine reserves.

What are elephant reserves?

Elephant reserves are areas identified by states under Project Elephant, launched in 1992, to protect elephant habitat and movement corridors. There are about 33 such reserves by recent lists. They do not have separate statutory status, but may include protected areas. The elephant became the National Heritage Animal in 2010.

How many tigers does India have?

The 2022 all-India tiger estimation, released in 2023, counted a minimum of 3,167 tigers using camera traps, with a higher estimated range. India holds the largest share of the world's wild tigers. Counts are done every four years, so the latest cycle should be checked.

Can a place be both a national park and a tiger reserve?

Yes. Many protected areas have overlapping status. For example, Jim Corbett, Kaziranga and the Sundarbans are national parks and tiger reserves, and Kaziranga and the Sundarbans are also World Heritage Sites. Each status carries its own rules and management, with the strictest protection in the core area.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Tiger reserves are declared under Section 38V.

True

On NTCA advice.

2 Project Elephant began in 1973.

False

In 1992.

3 The first national park was Hailey in 1936.