The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, established to strengthen tiger conservation in India. Its origin lies in the need for a legal framework to manage Project Tiger, which was initiated in 1973. The NTCA was formally constituted in December 2005 following the recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, and it was provided statutory backing through the amendment of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 in 2006. This amendment inserted enabling provisions, including Section 38 L (1), to create the NTCA, solving the problem of a lack of legal authority and accountability in tiger reserve management.
The NTCA works by administering Project Tiger and laying down standards and guidelines for tiger conservation in Tiger Reserves, National Parks, and Sanctuaries. Key mechanisms include approving the Tiger Conservation Plan prepared by State Governments under Section 38 O (1) (a) of the Act and disallowing ecologically unsustainable land use, such as mining, within Tiger Reserves. It also ensures that the boundaries of a Tiger Reserve are not altered or de-notified without its recommendation and the approval of the National Board for Wild Life. The NTCA connects to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), which was also created by the 2006 amendment, to combat illegal poaching. It also spearheads the All India Tiger Estimation exercise every four years, which has been recognized by the Guinness World Records. A recent development includes the NTCA's move to close unresolved tiger death cases if states miss investigation deadlines, a step that has raised concerns about accountability. The NTCA also oversees the deployment of the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in selected reserves.