The 29th Meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was held today at the Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFOS), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The meeting was chaired by Shri Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Chairperson, NTCA. The meeting was attended by Members of Parliament, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Shri Harish Chandra Meena, along with other Members of the Authority, besides senior officers of the Ministry, Chief Wildlife Wardens of Tiger Range States and Field Directors of Tiger Reserves.

The meeting deliberated on key policy, management and institutional issues relating to tiger conservation and wildlife management in the country. The deliberations focused on strengthening protection, improving management practices and enhancing conservation outcomes across India's tiger landscapes. The Authority reviewed the implementation of decisions taken during the previous meeting and considered proposals aimed at further strengthening conservation of tigers and their habitats.

During the meeting, the Minister released two important NTCA publications:

• Roadmap to Rescue: Strategic Roadmap for Establishment of Temporary/Transit Facilities for Rescue-Rehab-Release of Wild Animals in Tiger Landscapes: a scientific and strategic framework to strengthen wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and safe release across India's tiger landscapes. The roadmap will enhance preparedness for emerging conservation challenges and human–wildlife interactions; and,
• STRIDES 2026: Status of Tiger Reserves – Infrastructure, Development, Ecology & Social Parameters: a comprehensive assessment of conservation and management interventions across India's Tiger Reserves. The report will support evidence-based planning, adaptive management and informed decision-making for strengthening tiger conservation.

The Authority considered and approved the Annual Report of the National Tiger Conservation Authority for 2024–25 and review the Action Taken Report on the decisions of the 28th Meeting of the NTCA. The meeting also considered recommendations of the Technical Committee and Administrative Committee of the Authority.

Among the major agenda items, the Authority deliberated on the proposal for undertaking the 6th Cycle of the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Tiger Reserves, an important exercise for assessing the effectiveness of management practices and strengthening adaptive management across Tiger Reserves.

The meeting also considered proposals for organising the Tiger Conclave as a national platform to mobilise financial resources for Tiger Reserves through Tiger Conservation Foundations by fostering partnerships with corporate entities, philanthropic organisations and other stakeholders.

In addition, the Authority deliberated on organising STRIPES (Symposium on Tiger Research, Innovation, Policy, Ecology & Sustainability) as a national forum for disseminating research findings, sharing innovative management practices and facilitating knowledge exchange among Tiger Reserve managers, researchers and conservation practitioners to promote evidence-based management and replication of successful conservation interventions across Tiger Reserves.

Further, Members of the Authority were apprised of the recent initiatives and activities undertaken by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and deliberate on matters relating to strengthening conservation governance, scientific management and long-term protection of tiger habitats.

The 29th Meeting of the NTCA reaffirmed the Government of India's continued commitment to strengthening tiger conservation through science-based management, collaborative governance and landscape-level conservation, while furthering the objectives of biodiversity conservation and ecological security across the country.

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VM