India has recorded significant gains in tiger conservation over the past 12 years, with the country’s tiger population increasing to 3,682 and the number of tiger reserves rising to 58, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on the occasion of Global Tiger Day 2026.
Addressing the Global Tiger Day celebrations organised by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in New Delhi on Tuesday, the Minister said the progress reflects the government’s sustained commitment to wildlife conservation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Emphasising the need to strengthen society’s relationship with nature, Yadav said conservation is not limited to protecting wildlife but also involves developing respect for the natural environment. He urged people to adopt a conservation-oriented lifestyle and derive inspiration and peace from nature.
Highlighting India’s expanding conservation network, the Minister said that besides the growth in tiger numbers and tiger reserves, the country has also witnessed an increase in elephant reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, protected areas, community reserves and wetlands over the last 12 years.
During the event, Yadav launched the NTCA Eco-tourism webpage, which brings together information on all tiger reserves across the country on a single platform. The portal provides direct links to the official websites of tiger reserves for safari and accommodation bookings, with the objective of promoting responsible and sustainable nature-based tourism.
The Minister stressed that wildlife conservation extends beyond statistics and scientific data, describing it as a combination of traditional knowledge, field experience, passion and the dedication of forest personnel and conservationists. He encouraged forest officers to document and share their experiences to help shape practical conservation policies.
He also highlighted the importance of capacity building for forest officials through global best practices and pointed to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) as a platform for expanding international cooperation and knowledge sharing in wildlife conservation.
Recognising exemplary contributions to tiger conservation and protected area management, the National Tiger Conservation Authority presented the NTCA Awards to wildlife officers and other contributors for their outstanding work in conservation, habitat protection and management.
As part of the celebrations, the Minister visited an exhibition showcasing winning entries from painting, sketching, slogan-writing and mask-making competitions organised for school students across Delhi-NCR on the theme ‘Save Tiger’. A nationwide tiger conservation awareness campaign was also conducted through Eco-clubs under the Ministry’s Environment Education Programme, with a special focus on schools located near tiger reserves.
The event also saw the release of five publications covering different aspects of wildlife conservation. These included the July 2026 edition of NTCA Outreach Journal – STRIPES, the Security Audit Report of 24 Tiger Reserves, a Habitat Suitability Assessment for Sloth Bears across Tiger Landscapes in India, Tigers of the World, published by the International Big Cat Alliance and the Global Tiger Forum, and The Rehman Khera Tiger by Chandra Prakash Goyal and Satya Prakash Yadav.
The Ministry said the Global Tiger Day celebrations reaffirmed India’s commitment to tiger conservation through scientific management, knowledge sharing, capacity building, responsible eco-tourism and greater public participation in protecting the country’s rich biodiversity.
Global Tiger Day is observed every year on July 29 to raise awareness about tiger conservation and promote international cooperation for the protection of tigers and their habitats. It was instituted following the 2010 St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, where the 13 tiger range countries launched the Global Tiger Recovery Program with the goal of doubling the global wild tiger population.
