Consider the following statements regarding tiger conservation in India:

1. Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers among all Indian states.

2. The Project Tiger guidelines, later replaced by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2006, mandate that every tiger reserve must be managed as per a site-specific management plan.

3. Under Project Tiger, the Central Government provides 100% of the funds for conservation efforts across all states.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In News

• Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh has been declared India’s 58th tiger reserve, making Madhya Pradesh the state with the highest number of tiger reserves. The 2023 Tiger Census estimated India's tiger population at 3,682, with about 30% living outside protected reserves.

Key Points

• Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers in India, with 785 tigers as per the 2023 Tiger Census.
  • The state has nine tiger reserves, including Kanha, Panna, Bandhavgarh, and the newly declared Madhav Tiger Reserve.
  • Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
• Project Tiger (launched in 1973) laid the foundation for scientific management of tiger reserves, which became mandatory under the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2006.
  • Each tiger reserve must have a site-specific management plan, which includes:
    • Protection of tiger habitats.
    • Core and buffer zone management.
    • Wildlife monitoring and research.
    • Addressing human-wildlife conflicts.
  • Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
• Project Tiger does not provide 100% central funding across all states.
  • The funding structure is:
    • 60:40 split between Centre and State for most states.
    • 90:10 split for Northeastern and Himalayan states.
  • ​Hence, Statement 3 is incorrect.

Additional Information

• Madhav National Park, the latest tiger reserve, is a key wildlife corridor connecting Ranthambore (Rajasthan) and Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh).
• Kuno National Park is under consideration for lion relocation from Gir, Gujarat, though concerns exist about potential competition with the recently introduced African cheetahs. 
• Tiger reserves play a crucial role in conservation, but 30% of India's tigers currently live outside protected areas, raising concerns about habitat fragmentation and human-animal conflict.