Explaining MoEFCC’s U-turn to merge autonomous bodies

Subject: Environment

Section: Conservation

Context:

In June, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued a notification quietly walking back on its move to establish integrated regional offices by merging offices of the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), and thus bring them under the Ministry.

Criticism of the merger:

It would render the key environmental organisation ‘toothless’.
For example, in the existing structure, the NTCA can oppose a forest clearance for an infrastructure project for diverting Tiger Reserve areas. The proposed merger would have rendered this difficult as the NTCA would have come under the Deputy Director General of Forests, who is in charge of the Integrated Regional Office and reports to the Ministry.
The MoEFCC justified the merger for “ease of doing business” whereas the NTCA had opposed it, as it could lead to:
- Administrative confusion,
- Loss of independence,
- Undue interference in decision making,
- Loss of focus in discharging duties and responsibilities.

Rejection of the merger plan:

The MoEFCC dropped the merger plan, likely owing to technical and administrative difficulties in merging the institutions in question.

Merger of Project Tiger and Project Elephant:

Last month, the Indian government announced a plan to merge Project Tiger and Project Elephant.
Tiger Reserves are recognised under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 but Elephant Reserves are not.

About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):

It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
It was established in 2006 under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
The NTCA is the managing authority of Project Tiger and India’s Tiger Reserves.
Objectives:
- Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance of its directives become legal.
- Fostering accountability of Center-State in management of Tiger Reserves by providing a basis for MoU with States within the federal structure.
- Providing for an oversight by Parliament.
- Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.
NTCA Members:
- Minister in charge of MoEFCC (as Chairperson),
- Minister of State in MoEFCC (as Vice-Chairperson),
- three members of Parliament, the Secretary (MoEFCC), and other members.

Forest Survey of India (FSI):

Founded in June 1981
Headquartered at Dehradun in Uttarakhand
FSI is the Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organization which conducts forest surveys, studies and researches to periodically monitor the changing situations of land and forest resources and present the data for national planning, conservation and sustainable management of environmental protection as well as for the implementation of social forestry projects.
Forest Survey of India is the successor of “Preinvestment Survey of Forest Resources” (PISFR), a project initiated in 1965 by the government of India with the sponsorship of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
- In its report in 1976, the National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) recommended the creation of a National Forest Survey Organization for a regular, periodic and comprehensive forest resources survey of the country, leading to the creation of FSI in the same year.
Publications:
- FSI has biennial “The Indian State of Forest Reports” and area-specific reports on “The Reports on Inventory and Wood Consumption Studies”.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB):

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to combat organized wildlife crime.
The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 provisions came into force on 6 June 2007. It became operational in the year 2008.
It is a law enforcement agency.
WCCB won the prestigious 2010 Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Awards for its outstanding work on wildlife law enforcement in the country.
UNEP has also awarded WCCB with Asia Environment Enforcement Award, 2018.
WCCB is also partnering with United Nations University and CIESIN-Earth Institute at Columbia University through the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System Initiative.
Motto: “Fighting Transboundary Environmental Crime”
Headquarters: New Delhi

Central Zoo Authority (CZA):

Founded in 1992
Headquarters: New Delhi
The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is the body of the Government of India responsible for oversight of zoos.
It is an affiliate member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
The CZA was formed to bring Indian zoos up to international standards.
The Central Zoo Authority has been constituted under the section 38A of Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972.
The Authority consists of a Chairman, ten members and a Member Secretary.
The main objective of the authority is to complement the national effort in conservation of wild life. Standards and norms for housing, upkeep, health care and overall management of animals in zoos has been laid down under the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 1992.
Every zoo in the country is required to obtain recognition from the Authority for its operation.
Apart from the primary function of grant of recognition and release of financial assistance, the Central Zoo Authority also regulates the exchange of animals of endangered category Listed under Schedule-I and II of the Wildlife Protection Act among zoos.
- Exchange of animals between Indian and foreign zoos is also approved by the Authority before the requisite clearances under EXIM Policy and the CITES permits are issued by the competent authority.