The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has granted approval of two national parks to be declared as tiger reserves. The Kudermukh national park in Karnataka and Rajaji National Park in Uttarkhand have been finally got the approval to be declared as Tiger Reserves. In-principle approval has been granted by the NTCA for the formation of reserves in Ratapani in Madhya Pradesh, Sunabeda in Odisha and Guru Ghasidas in Chhattisgarh.

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar  said the Central Zoo Authority has asked all the Chief Wildlife Wardens of Indian states to make rescue centers with proper facilities to house orphaned and injured wild animals and those animals involved in man-animal conflict.

Tidbits

1. Project Tiger is a Tiger conservation programme launched in 1973 by the GOI under its then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
2. Owing to the project, the number of tigers has improved to 2226 as per the latest census report released on January 20, 2015.
3. Project Tiger is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
4. India is home to 70 percent of tigers in the world.
5. As of now there are 48 tiger reserves in India, which are governed by Project Tiger, which is administered by the NTCA.
6. In India, Karnataka has the highest number of tigers in the age group of 1.5 years with more 408 big cats.