Context: Recently, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh declared a tiger reserve following in-principle approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change through the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

• The other tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh are Kanha, Satpura, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Sanjay Dubri, Panna and Veerangana Durgavati.

About Ratapani Wildlife Sanctury

• Location: Situated in Raisen and Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh.

• Major sites: Encompasses a World Heritage Site “Bhimbetka Rock Shelters” and many other sites like Ginnourgarh Fort, POW camp, Keri Mahadeo, Jholiyapur dam etc.

Flora and Fauna

• The forest in Ratapani is dry deciduous and moist deciduous type, with 55 percent of area covered by teak.

• Major animals are tigers, leopard, sloth bear, hyena, spotted deer, sambar deer etc.

Process of declaring tiger reserves in india

• Tiger Reserves are notified by State Governments as per provisions of Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 on advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. 

The following steps are involved in the notification:

• Proposal is obtained from the State.

• In-principle approval is communicated from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, soliciting detailed proposals under section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• National Tiger Conservation Authority recommends the proposal to the State after due diligence.

• The State Government notifies the area as a Tiger Reserve.

Indian Government efforts to protect Tigers

• Project Tiger: It is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to provide assistance to the tiger States.

• Conservation Assured' Tiger Standards (CATS) accreditation of Tiger Reserves: Till December 2023,  a total of 23 tiger reserves of India have received CA|TS accreditation.

• International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA): India has launched IBCA  aiming to secure  the future of big cats and the landscapes they thrive in.