Project Tiger merges with Project Elephant — but questions on fund split unanswered

Subject : Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context:

An order on June 23, 2023 finally made it official — Project Tiger and Project Elephant have been merged, meaning a common allocation will fund both beginning this year. The merger was announced in April 2023; however, there is still no clarity on how the finances would be split between the conservation projects.

Details:

A new division, ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division,’ has been notified under the ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Project Elephant completed 30 years in 2022 and Project Tiger completed 50 years in 2023.
A similar proposal was made by the erstwhile Planning Commission in 2011 to merge three centrally sponsored schemes — Project Tiger, Project Elephant, and Integrated Development under Wildlife Habitat — into one.
The administrative setup for the two schemes will continue to exist separately, only funding is to be merged.
The amalgamated budget of Project Tiger and Project Elephant schemes in 2023-24 stands at Rs 331 crore.
This is a reduction from 2022-23 combined budgetary amount of Rs 335 crore including Rs 300 crore for Project Tiger and Rs 35 crores for elephant.
Fund allocation for Project Tiger was Rs 350 crore in 2018-19, Rs 282.57 crore in 2019-20, Rs 195 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 220 crore in 2021-22.

About Project Tiger:

Feature	Description
Objective	To ensure the maintenance of a viable population of tigers in India for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values. To preserve, for all times, areas of biological importance as a national heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people.
Type	Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
Implementing Authority	National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) (est. 2005; HQ: New Delhi)
About NTCA	NTCA was established following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force). It is a statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972.
Members of NTCA	Union Minister of the MoEFCC (as Chairperson)+ the Minister of State in the MoEFCC (as Vice-Chairperson)+ 3 MPs, Secretary, MoEFCC
Functions of NTCA	Supervisory and coordination role and approval of the Tiger Conservation Plan prepared by the State Governments.
States Covered	18 States in India with 54 Tiger Reserves (Ranipur tiger reserve, Uttar Pradesh being the latest.)

About the Project Elephant:

Aspect Project Elephant	Information
Launch year	1992
Type	Centrally-sponsored scheme
Aim	To protect elephants and improve their habitat and corridors, reduce human-elephant conflict
Elephant reserves	33 elephant reserves have been notified (Terai ER in Utter Pradesh became 33rd India’s ER); 101 elephant corridors identified
Objectives	Provide financial and technical support to wildlife management efforts, ensure the long-term survival Protect elephants, their habitats and migration corridors Support research on ecology and management of elephants Create awareness of conservation among local people Provide improved veterinary care for captive elephants