Science & Technology
Biodiversity and Conservation
In-situ Conservation: India's Protected-Area Network
In-situ conservation for CGPSC: national parks, sanctuaries, conservation and community reserves, tiger, elephant and biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites, ESZs.
Prerequisites
- Biodiversity Hotspots and Megadiversity: where conservation is most urgent
- Wildlife Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves of Chhattisgarh: the state examples used on this page
- Environmental Conventions: Ramsar and UNESCO’s MAB programme
The Hook: A Tiger Reserve the Size of a District
Connect
In November 2024, about 2,829 sq km of forest across Koriya, Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Surajpur and Balrampur was notified as the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, India’s 56th. Nobody built a fence around a few tigers. Instead, an entire landscape, with its prey, its rivers, its villages and its links to Sanjay-Dubri in Madhya Pradesh, was placed under one management plan.
That is in-situ conservation (स्व-स्थाने संरक्षण): protecting species in their natural habitat.
What kinds of protected areas does India have, which law creates each, and how many are there today?
Why it matters: Prelims tests categories (which law, which section, what is allowed inside), dated counts and “first/latest” facts. Mains GS-II asks you to evaluate India’s protected-area strategy and the conflict between conservation and the rights of forest dwellers.
In-situ vs Ex-situ: the Basic Split
| In-situ (स्व-स्थाने) | Ex-situ (पर-स्थाने) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Conservation on site, in the natural habitat | Conservation off site, outside the natural habitat |
| What it protects | Species plus their ecosystem and evolutionary processes | Mainly species and genes, as a backup |
| Examples | National parks, sanctuaries, tiger reserves, biosphere reserves, sacred groves | Zoos, botanical gardens, seed and gene banks, cryopreservation |
| Cost and scale | Large areas, cheaper per species | Small, expensive per individual |
| Main limitation | Cannot help when the habitat itself is lost | Captive populations lose adaptation to the wild; small gene pools |
The CBD (Article 8) treats in-situ conservation as the primary strategy and ex-situ (Article 9) as complementary. See Ex-situ Conservation.
Protected Areas under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (वन्यजीव संरक्षण अधिनियम) creates four categories of protected areas (PAs). Conservation and community reserves were added by the 2002 amendment.
| Category | Section of WPA | Who declares | What is allowed inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| National park (राष्ट्रीय उद्यान) | Sec 35 | State Government (Centre in some cases) | No grazing, no private rights; rights are settled at notification. Boundaries can be altered only on the recommendation of the National Board for Wildlife |
| Wildlife sanctuary (वन्यजीव अभयारण्य) | Sec 18 onwards | State Government | Some regulated activities and rights can continue (e.g. grazing, if permitted) |
| Conservation reserve (संरक्षण आरक्षित क्षेत्र) | Sec 36A | State Government, after consulting local communities | On government-owned land, usually next to PAs or as corridors; community rights largely continue |
| Community reserve (सामुदायिक आरक्षित क्षेत्र) | Sec 36C | State Government, where a community or individuals volunteer | On community or private land; managed by a community reserve management committee |
India's PA network in numbers (National Wildlife Database, as of March 2025)
- 1,015 protected areas in all: 107 national parks, 573 wildlife sanctuaries, 115 conservation reserves and 220 community reserves.
- Together they cover about 1.75 lakh sq km, roughly 5.32% of India’s geographical area.
- These counts change every year as new areas are notified. Always quote them with a date.
Chhattisgarh (as of 2026): 3 national parks (Indravati, Kanger Valley, Guru Ghasidas) and 11 wildlife sanctuaries. The Lemru Elephant Reserve in the Korba region is notified as a conservation reserve under Section 36A. Details are in Forests and Wildlife of Chhattisgarh.
Tiger Reserves and Project Tiger
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project Tiger (बाघ परियोजना) | Launched 1 April 1973 with 9 reserves; the first was Jim Corbett (Uttarakhand) |
| Legal basis | 2006 amendment of the WPA added Chapter IVB: tiger reserves (Sec 38V) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA, राष्ट्रीय बाघ संरक्षण प्राधिकरण) (Sec 38L), chaired by the Union Environment Minister |
| Structure | Core or Critical Tiger Habitat (kept inviolate; voluntary relocation with compensation) + buffer (coexistence, livelihoods) |
| Number (as of 2026) | 58. Recent additions: 56th Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla (Chhattisgarh, Nov 2024), 57th Ratapani (MP, Dec 2024), 58th Madhav (MP, March 2025) |
| State with most | Madhya Pradesh (9, as of 2026) |
| Tiger count | All India Tiger Estimation 2022: at least 3,167 tigers photographed; the later full estimate gave an average of about 3,682. India holds about three-quarters of the world’s wild tigers |
| Merger | From 2023–24, Project Tiger and Project Elephant were merged into one centrally sponsored scheme, Project Tiger and Elephant |
| Global | India launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) in April 2023, at the 50-year commemoration of Project Tiger |
Chhattisgarh (as of 2026): 4 tiger reserves: Indravati (1983), Udanti-Sitanadi (2009), Achanakmar (2009), Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla (Nov 2024). AITE 2022 counted only 17 tigers in the state.
Elephant Reserves and Project Elephant
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project Elephant (हाथी परियोजना) | Launched 1992: protect elephants, their habitats and corridors; reduce human-elephant conflict; welfare of captive elephants |
| Elephant reserves | 33 in 14 states (as of 2025). They are management units notified by states, overlapping tiger reserves, sanctuaries and reserved forests; an elephant reserve is not a separate PA category under the WPA |
| Status | The elephant was declared India’s National Heritage Animal in 2010 |
| Population | Synchronous All India Elephant Estimation 2021–25 (DNA-based, released by WII on 14 October 2025): average estimate 22,446 (range about 18,200–26,600). It used a new method, so it should not be compared directly with the 2017 count |
Chhattisgarh (as of 2026): Badalkhol-Tamor Pingla (notified 15 September 2011) and Lemru (Korba region). Human-elephant conflict in Surguja, Jashpur, Korba and Raigarh is the state’s sharpest wildlife issue.
Biosphere Reserves (जैवमंडल आरक्षित क्षेत्र)
Biosphere reserves are designated by the Government of India and may then be nominated to UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme (1971), which is a programme, not a treaty. They try to reconcile conservation with sustainable use.
graph LR
C["Core zone: strictly protected, no human use"] --> B["Buffer zone: research, education, low-impact use"]
B --> T["Transition zone: villages, farming, sustainable development"]| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First in India | Nilgiri (1986) |
| Number in India | 18 (as of 2026) |
| In UNESCO’s World Network | 13 (as of 2026). The 13th, Cold Desert (Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh), was added on 27 September 2025 |
| First in UNESCO’s network | Nilgiri (2000) |
| Chhattisgarh | Achanakmar-Amarkantak: declared 30 March 2005 (India’s 14th), shared with Madhya Pradesh; added to UNESCO’s network in 2012 |
Biosphere reserve vs national park
A national park is a legal category under the WPA with strict rules. A biosphere reserve is a zoning and management label: its core is usually made up of existing national parks or sanctuaries, while its transition zone contains villages and farms.
Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International Importance)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Convention | Ramsar, Iran, 1971; India a party since 1982 |
| India’s first sites | Chilika (Odisha) and Keoladeo (Rajasthan), 1981 |
| Count | India crossed 100 Ramsar sites in June 2026 (100th: Surha Tal / Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary, Ballia, UP); 101 were reported by August 2026. The count changes often; check before the exam |
| Chhattisgarh | Kopra Reservoir, Bilaspur: first Ramsar site of the state, 12 December 2025 |
| Domestic law | Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 |
Other In-situ Tools
| Tool | What it is | Example / note |
|---|---|---|
| Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs, पारिस्थितिकी संवेदनशील क्षेत्र) | “Shock absorber” zones around PAs, notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, regulating activities such as mining and polluting industry | MoEFCC guidelines (2011). The Supreme Court in June 2022 directed a minimum 1-km ESZ around PAs and relaxed that direction in April 2023 |
| Critical Wildlife Habitat | Areas of NPs and sanctuaries kept inviolate, identified under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (Sec 2(b)) only after recognising rights and with consent | Distinct from Critical Tiger Habitat under the WPA |
| Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) | Notified by State Governments under Sec 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 | First: Nallur Tamarind Grove, Karnataka (2007) |
| Sacred groves (देवराई / देवगुड़ी / सरना) | Forest patches protected by communities for religious reasons | Devrai (Maharashtra), Kavu (Kerala), Sarna (Jharkhand, north Chhattisgarh), Devgudi (Bastar) |
| Community conservation | Traditions and movements that protect nature | Bishnoi community (Rajasthan; Khejarli, 1730); Chipko (1973, Uttarakhand) |
| On-farm conservation | Farmers keep growing traditional landraces | Rice landraces in Chhattisgarh villages; seed festivals |
| OECMs | “Other effective area-based conservation measures”: areas outside formal PAs that still conserve biodiversity | Count towards the 30% target of the Kunming-Montreal framework |
Species-Focused Projects (In-situ)
| Project | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Project Tiger | 1973 | Now Project Tiger and Elephant (from 2023–24) |
| Crocodile Conservation Project | 1975 | Gharial, mugger and saltwater crocodile; combined breeding and release with habitat protection |
| Project Elephant | 1992 | Corridors and conflict mitigation |
| Project Snow Leopard | 2009 | High-altitude Himalaya |
| Project Lion and Project Dolphin | Announced 15 August 2020 | Asiatic lion landscape (Gujarat); river and marine dolphins. The Gangetic dolphin is India’s National Aquatic Animal (2009) |
Reintroductions such as Project Cheetah (2022) and conservation breeding for vultures and the wild buffalo bridge in-situ and ex-situ methods; see Ex-situ Conservation.
Analysis for Mains: Strengths and Gaps of India’s PA Strategy
Achievements
- Tiger recovery: tiger numbers have risen across successive estimations, and India holds most of the world’s wild tigers.
- Layered network: from strict national parks to community reserves, ESZs and biosphere reserves, India has tools for different levels of human presence.
- Landscape thinking: corridors (Kanha–Achanakmar through Bhoramdeo; Guru Ghasidas–Sanjay-Dubri) and inter-state reserves.
Gaps
- Coverage: PAs are about 5.3% of India’s area, far below the 30% by 2030 target (Kunming-Montreal, Target 3), so OECMs and community areas must fill the gap.
- Paper parks: Chhattisgarh has 4 tiger reserves but only 17 tigers (AITE 2022). Prey depletion, poaching and weak staffing (and Left-Wing Extremism in parts of Bastar) limit outcomes.
- Rights conflicts: relocation from cores, if not truly voluntary, violates the FRA and harms trust. Community Forest Resource rights inside Udanti-Sitanadi (2021) and Kanger Valley (2022) show another path.
- Fragmentation: mining, highways and canals cut corridors; Hasdeo Arand and the Lemru Elephant Reserve are the state’s best-known flashpoint.
- Human-wildlife conflict: compensation delays and crop losses turn local people against conservation.
Way forward: fortress-free conservation (protection with communities), corridor planning in EIAs, prey augmentation, rapid compensation, technology (camera traps, e-surveillance, early-warning systems for elephants), and recognising OECMs.
Memory Tricks
WPA sections: '18-35-36A-36C-38V'
“Sanctuary at 18, Park at 35, Conservation at 36A, Community at 36C, Tiger at 38V.” Sanctuaries come first in the Act and are less strict; national parks come later and are stricter. The 2002 amendment added the two 36s; the 2006 amendment added the tiger chapter.
Biosphere zones: 'C-B-T', strict to loose
Core (no use) → Buffer (light use) → Transition (towns and farms). “Can’t, Bit, Total.”
Species projects by year: '73-75-92-09-20-22'
Tiger 1973 → Crocodile 1975 → Elephant 1992 → Snow leopard 2009 → Lion and Dolphin 2020 → Cheetah 2022. “The Crocodile Eats Snow; Lions Drink; Cheetahs return.”
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| National park: no rights, no grazing (Sec 35) | Sanctuary: some regulated rights (Sec 18) | |
| Conservation reserve: government land (Sec 36A) | Community reserve: community or private land (Sec 36C) | |
| Critical Tiger Habitat: WPA, Sec 38V (2006) | Critical Wildlife Habitat: FRA 2006, Sec 2(b) | |
| Tiger reserve: statutory, NTCA | Elephant reserve: administrative management unit, not a WPA category | |
| Biosphere reserve: UNESCO MAB programme | Ramsar site: Ramsar Convention (treaty) | |
| Eco-Sensitive Zone: Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 | Protected area: Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 | |
| Biodiversity Heritage Site: BDA 2002, Sec 37 | World Heritage Site: UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1972 |
Common Mistakes
Trap 1: undated counts
“India has 53 tiger reserves” or “75 Ramsar sites” are old figures. As of 2026: 58 tiger reserves, 18 biosphere reserves (13 in UNESCO’s network), Ramsar sites past 100 (June 2026). Always attach a date.
Trap 2: elephant reserves under the WPA
Elephant reserves are notified by states as management units under Project Elephant; they are not one of the four PA categories of the WPA. (Lemru is a special case: it is notified as a conservation reserve under Sec 36A.)
Trap 3: biosphere reserves are under a convention
UNESCO’s MAB is a programme, not a convention. The Ramsar Convention and the World Heritage Convention are treaties.
Trap 4: NTCA created in 1973
Project Tiger began in 1973; the NTCA was created by the 2006 amendment of the WPA.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- Conservation reserves and community reserves were added to the Wild Life (Protection) Act by the ________ amendment.
- Project Tiger was launched on ________ with ________ reserves.
- Chhattisgarh’s only biosphere reserve is ________, declared in ________.
Answers
- 2002 amendment.
- 1 April 1973; 9 reserves.
- Achanakmar-Amarkantak; 2005 (UNESCO network 2012).
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- The National Tiger Conservation Authority was set up under the Wild Life (Protection) Act through its 2006 amendment.
- Elephant reserves are one of the four categories of protected areas defined in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Community reserves can be declared on community or private land.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 3 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 and 3 only. The NTCA came with Chapter IVB, added in 2006. The four WPA categories are national park, sanctuary, conservation reserve and community reserve; elephant reserves are management units under Project Elephant (statement 2 is wrong). Community reserves (Sec 36C) are on community or private land.
Q2. Match List I (Conservation unit) with List II (Legal or institutional basis):
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Eco-Sensitive Zone | 1. UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme |
| B. Biodiversity Heritage Site | 2. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 |
| C. Biosphere reserve (international recognition) | 3. Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 |
| D. Conservation reserve | 4. Biological Diversity Act, 2002 |
- (a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
- (b) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
- (c) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- (d) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
Answer and explanation
(a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3. ESZs are notified under the Environment (Protection) Act; BHS under Sec 37 of the Biological Diversity Act; biosphere reserves gain international recognition under UNESCO’s MAB; conservation reserves are under Sec 36A of the WPA.
Q3. Which one of the following is an example of in-situ conservation?
- (a) A seed bank at a national gene bank
- (b) A sacred grove protected by a village community
- (c) A tissue culture laboratory
- (d) A zoological park
Answer and explanation
(b) A sacred grove. It protects species in their natural habitat. Seed banks, tissue culture and zoos keep organisms or genes outside their habitat, so they are ex-situ.
Q4. Arrange the following in chronological order of launch:
- Project Elephant
- Project Tiger
- Project Snow Leopard
- Crocodile Conservation Project
- (a) 2-4-1-3
- (b) 4-2-1-3
- (c) 2-1-4-3
- (d) 2-4-3-1
Answer and explanation
(a) 2-4-1-3. Project Tiger 1973, Crocodile project 1975, Project Elephant 1992, Project Snow Leopard 2009.
Q5. With reference to biosphere reserves in India (as of 2026), which one of the following is correct?
- (a) All biosphere reserves of India are part of UNESCO’s World Network
- (b) The core zone permits settled agriculture
- (c) Achanakmar-Amarkantak is shared between Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh
- (d) Biosphere reserves are designated under the Ramsar Convention
Answer and explanation
(c). Achanakmar-Amarkantak (2005) spans Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Only 13 of India’s 18 biosphere reserves were in UNESCO’s network as of 2026 (Cold Desert became the 13th in September 2025). The core zone is strictly protected. Biosphere reserves come under UNESCO’s MAB programme, not the Ramsar Convention.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (60 words) Differentiate between a national park, a wildlife sanctuary and a biosphere reserve.
Model answer outline
- National park: WPA Sec 35; no grazing or private rights; strictest; e.g. Kanger Valley.
- Sanctuary: WPA Sec 18; regulated rights may continue; e.g. Barnawapara.
- Biosphere reserve: Government of India designation, recognised under UNESCO MAB; core-buffer-transition zoning that includes villages; e.g. Achanakmar-Amarkantak (2005; UNESCO 2012).
Q2. (150–200 words) “India’s protected-area network has saved flagship species but has not resolved the conflict between conservation and forest-dwelling communities.” Discuss, with examples from Chhattisgarh.
Model answer outline
- Intro: India has 1,015 PAs (about 5.3% of land, March 2025) plus 58 tiger reserves and 33 elephant reserves (dated counts).
- Successes: tiger recovery nationally (AITE 2022: average about 3,682); landscape reserves such as Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla (2024), linked with Sanjay-Dubri; biosphere reserve and Ramsar recognition (Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Kopra).
- Unresolved conflicts: relocation from cores; restrictions on minor forest produce and grazing; human-elephant conflict in north Chhattisgarh; mining in Hasdeo Arand against Lemru’s corridor role.
- Signs of a new model: FRA Community Forest Resource rights in Udanti-Sitanadi (2021) and Kanger Valley (2022); community reserves; BMCs under the Biological Diversity Act.
- Way forward: voluntary, well-compensated relocation; co-management; fast conflict compensation; corridor protection in EIAs; counting OECMs towards the 30x30 target.
- Conclusion: Conservation lasts only when local people gain from it; rights-based conservation is the next step.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| PA categories (WPA) | NP Sec 35; WLS Sec 18; conservation reserve Sec 36A; community reserve Sec 36C (both 2002) |
| PA network (March 2025) | 1,015: 107 NP, 573 WLS, 115 CR, 220 CoR; about 5.32% of India |
| Project Tiger | 1 April 1973; 9 reserves; Jim Corbett first |
| NTCA | 2006 amendment; Sec 38L; tiger reserve Sec 38V |
| Tiger reserves (2026) | 58; 56th GGTP (CG, Nov 2024); 57th Ratapani; 58th Madhav (MP, Mar 2025) |
| AITE 2022 | Minimum 3,167; average estimate about 3,682 |
| Project Elephant | 1992; 33 ERs in 14 states (2025); merged with Project Tiger from 2023–24 |
| Elephant estimate | SAIEE 2021–25 (released 14 Oct 2025): average 22,446 |
| Biosphere reserves | 18; 13 in UNESCO network (Cold Desert, Sept 2025); first Nilgiri 1986 |
| CG biosphere reserve | Achanakmar-Amarkantak: 2005 (14th); UNESCO 2012 |
| Ramsar | 1971; India 1982; first sites 1981; 100 in June 2026, 101 by Aug 2026; CG: Kopra (12 Dec 2025) |
| ESZ | Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 |
| First BHS | Nallur Tamarind Grove, Karnataka (2007) |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- In-situ = protecting species in their habitat; the CBD treats it as the primary strategy.
- The WPA has four PA categories: national park (35), sanctuary (18), conservation reserve (36A), community reserve (36C).
- Tiger reserves are statutory under Chapter IVB (2006), run with the NTCA; India has 58 (as of 2026), Chhattisgarh 4.
- Biosphere reserves (18; 13 with UNESCO, as of 2026) use core-buffer-transition zoning; Ramsar sites passed 100 in 2026.
- The weak points are coverage, paper parks, fragmentation and rights conflicts; community-based models are the way forward.
What’s Next
- Ex-situ Conservation: zoos, gene banks and conservation breeding
- Conservation Laws and Institutions: the WPA, the Biological Diversity Act and the FRA in detail
- National Parks of Chhattisgarh: Indravati, Kanger Valley and Guru Ghasidas
- Forest Policy and Forest Laws: FRA, PESA and CFR rights in the state
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