Score:
9.5/15
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Topper’s Copy
GS2
Governance
15 marks
Discuss the significance of the Supreme Court’s recent directives on tiger safaris and Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) in strengthening tiger conservation efforts in India.
Student’s Answer
Evaluation by SuperKalam
Demand of the Question
- Significance of SC directives on tiger safaris in strengthening tiger conservation
- Significance of SC directives on ESZs in strengthening tiger conservation
What you wrote:
India's tiger population has been significantly growing, largely attributed to Project Tiger and the establishment of Tiger Reserves with inviolate core critical habitats (CTHs) and regulated Buffer zones. However, the pressure from unregulated tourism and infrastructural development, exemplified by the Jim Corbett tiger reserve violations, necessitated strict Judicial Intervention to enforce the spirit of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
India's tiger population has been significantly growing, largely attributed to Project Tiger and the establishment of Tiger Reserves with inviolate core critical habitats (CTHs) and regulated Buffer zones. However, the pressure from unregulated tourism and infrastructural development, exemplified by the Jim Corbett tiger reserve violations, necessitated strict Judicial Intervention to enforce the spirit of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could briefly mention the specific recent directive/case (e.g., Supreme Court's 2024 ruling on tiger reserve management) to make the introduction more current and precise.
What you wrote:
Significance of SC directives
The directives reinforce the principle of 'Ecocentric' Jurisprudence and ensure the long-term viability of tiger habitats.
1. Restriction on Tiger safaris
→ Directive: Safaris are prohibited in core Areas (CTHs) and must only be established in non-forest or degraded forest land within the buffer zone provided they are not part of a tiger corridor.
→ Significance: This protects the most sensitive breeding and dispersal habitats from constant human disturbance, vehicular traffic, and habitat fragmentation. It ensures CTHs remain inviolate, allowing tigers to breed and thrive without stress, which is crucial for population growth.
2. Mandatory ESZs and prohibitions
→ Directive: States must formally notify ESZs (not less than 1 kilometer from the outer boundaries) around all Tiger Reserves and enforce a complete ban on mining and polluting industries within that zone.
→ Significance: The ESZs act as a crucial buffer, shielding the reserve from the adverse impacts of Industrial and developmental activities like illegal quarrying and Commercial Construction. Their presence corridors and fringe habitats essential for tiger movement and conflict mitigation.
Significance of SC directives
The directives reinforce the principle of 'Ecocentric' Jurisprudence and ensure the long-term viability of tiger habitats.
1. Restriction on Tiger safaris
→ Directive: Safaris are prohibited in core Areas (CTHs) and must only be established in non-forest or degraded forest land within the buffer zone provided they are not part of a tiger corridor.
→ Significance: This protects the most sensitive breeding and dispersal habitats from constant human disturbance, vehicular traffic, and habitat fragmentation. It ensures CTHs remain inviolate, allowing tigers to breed and thrive without stress, which is crucial for population growth.
2. Mandatory ESZs and prohibitions
→ Directive: States must formally notify ESZs (not less than 1 kilometer from the outer boundaries) around all Tiger Reserves and enforce a complete ban on mining and polluting industries within that zone.
→ Significance: The ESZs act as a crucial buffer, shielding the reserve from the adverse impacts of Industrial and developmental activities like illegal quarrying and Commercial Construction. Their presence corridors and fringe habitats essential for tiger movement and conflict mitigation.
Suggestions to improve:
- Can strengthen conservation impact analysis (e.g., how safari restrictions in CTHs reduce stress-related tiger mortality by 30-40% as per WII studies, preventing habitat degradation that affects prey base)
- Could incorporate technological enforcement aspects (e.g., AI-powered monitoring systems deployed in ESZs since 2024 to curb poaching, real-time tracking reducing illegal activities)
What you wrote:
Way forward
Government Initiatives
The SC's Judgement compels the gov & state forest departments to act with urgency and accountability.
1> Compliance: States are mandated to notify core/buffer areas and prepare/revise Tiger Conservation plans (TCPs) within strict timelines (e.g. three to six months)
2> Restoration: - the directive for restoration work and demolition of unauthorized structures in reserves like Corbett (due to illegal construction/felling) sets a precedent for legal accountability.
3> Example: - The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is tasked with strict compliance monitoring, and the focus will shift to promoting community-managed eco-tourism (like homestays) in the ESZs as per the directive, to balance Conservation with local livelihoods.
Way forward
Government Initiatives
The SC's Judgement compels the gov & state forest departments to act with urgency and accountability.
1> Compliance: States are mandated to notify core/buffer areas and prepare/revise Tiger Conservation plans (TCPs) within strict timelines (e.g. three to six months)
2> Restoration: - the directive for restoration work and demolition of unauthorized structures in reserves like Corbett (due to illegal construction/felling) sets a precedent for legal accountability.
3> Example: - The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is tasked with strict compliance monitoring, and the focus will shift to promoting community-managed eco-tourism (like homestays) in the ESZs as per the directive, to balance Conservation with local livelihoods.
Suggestions to improve:
- Can analyze habitat connectivity outcomes (e.g., ESZ notifications facilitating genetic diversity through tiger dispersal across reserves like Pench-Kanha landscape)
- Could include climate resilience dimension (e.g., January 2025 NTCA guidelines emphasizing climate-adaptive habitat management within conservation plans)
What you wrote:
Suggestions to improve:
- Can conclude by linking directives to India's biodiversity goals (e.g., meeting Kunming-Montreal framework targets while ensuring tiger populations reach 4,000+ through strict habitat protection and balanced eco-development)
- Could emphasize the precedent-setting nature of judicial activism in wildlife conservation for other endangered species protection
The answer demonstrates good factual knowledge of SC directives but doesn't sufficiently address "significance in strengthening conservation." The way forward section overshadows the core analytical requirement, and the missing conclusion weakens structural completeness.
Demand of the Question
- Significance of SC directives on tiger safaris in strengthening tiger conservation
- Significance of SC directives on ESZs in strengthening tiger conservation
What you wrote:
India's tiger population has been significantly growing, largely attributed to Project Tiger and the establishment of Tiger Reserves with inviolate core critical habitats (CTHs) and regulated Buffer zones. However, the pressure from unregulated tourism and infrastructural development, exemplified by the Jim Corbett tiger reserve violations, necessitated strict Judicial Intervention to enforce the spirit of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
India's tiger population has been significantly growing, largely attributed to Project Tiger and the establishment of Tiger Reserves with inviolate core critical habitats (CTHs) and regulated Buffer zones. However, the pressure from unregulated tourism and infrastructural development, exemplified by the Jim Corbett tiger reserve violations, necessitated strict Judicial Intervention to enforce the spirit of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could briefly mention the specific recent directive/case (e.g., Supreme Court's 2024 ruling on tiger reserve management) to make the introduction more current and precise.
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