Project Tiger is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for the in-situ conservation of the tiger and its habitat. The scheme was launched on April 1, 1973, to address the precipitous decline in the tiger population, which had fallen to approximately 1,827 individuals by the early 1970s from an estimated 40,000 at the turn of the 19th century.
The core mechanism of Project Tiger is the establishment of Tiger Reserves based on a core-buffer strategy. Core areas are strictly protected, inviolate zones with the legal status of a national park or sanctuary where human activities are prohibited. Buffer areas are peripheral zones managed for multiple use, allowing limited human activity and promoting coexistence with local communities. State Governments are required to prepare a Tiger Conservation Plan as per Section 38 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The scheme is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body established in December 2005 under the MoEFCC. The NTCA was constituted under Section 38 L (1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, providing the project with a strong legal and institutional framework. The NTCA approves the State Governments' conservation plans and lays down standards for management.
A recent change occurred in FY 2023-24, when Project Tiger was merged with Project Elephant into a unified scheme, "Project Tiger & Elephant (PTE)," under the umbrella of the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats. Despite this administrative merger, Project Tiger continues to function as a CSS, and the NTCA remains the implementing agency, overseeing the expansion of Tiger Reserves from the initial 9 to 58 as of March 2025.