National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Biosphere Reserves

Protected area networks safeguard threatened wildlife and ecological habitats through statutory conservation tiers. In India, protected areas are established under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, creating National Parks (highest protection, no grazing or human habitation allowed), Wildlife Sanctuaries, Community Reserves, and Conservation Reserves. Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, is India's oldest national park. India launched Project Tiger on April 1, 1973, managed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program recognizes international Biosphere Reserves featuring core, buffer, and transition zones, such as the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.