New Delhi, Dec 21: The 28th meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the 22nd Steering Committee meeting of Project Elephant were held on Sunday at the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in West Bengal under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav.
The meetings brought together senior officials, scientists and field experts from tiger and elephant range states, along with representatives of key conservation institutions, to assess progress under Project Tiger and Project Elephant and to chart future conservation strategies.
Chairing the NTCA meeting, Yadav highlighted India’s globally recognised tiger conservation model, stressing the need for science-based management, landscape-level planning, community participation, inter-state coordination and international cooperation. The minutes of the 27th NTCA meeting held in April 2025 were confirmed and the action taken report was reviewed. The NTCA discussed outcomes of four regional meetings, focusing on challenges faced by tiger reserves, including human–tiger conflict, staff shortages, financial constraints, habitat degradation and invasive species. Measures to mitigate conflict, including a three-pronged strategy and the launch of the project ‘Management of Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves’, were reviewed, with directions issued to states for follow-up action.
