Project Tiger was launched in 1973 with an objective "to ensure maintenance of a viable population of Tigers in India for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values and to preserve for all time areas of biological importance as a national heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people".

    The direction was strongly reflected in the message given on the occasion from the then Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi. She regarded it as a truly national endeavour and observed that, "The Tiger cannot be preserved in isolation. Its habitat is threatened by human intrusion, commercial forestry and cattle grazing, must first be made inviolate".

    The Project has successfully been implemented and at present there are twenty- three Tiger Reserves in fourteen states covering an area of 33,126 sq. km. A decision has been recently taken to add two more reserves. The selection of reserves was guided by representation of unique wilderness ecosystem types across the geographic distribution of tigers in the country.

    The network of Tiger Reserves include the high mountainous terrain of Arunachal Pradesh, the heavy rainfall areas of Assam and West Bengal, the estuarine mangroves of Sunderbans, the dry forests of Rajasthan, the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the Central Indian Highlands of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The plateau of Chhota Nagpur in Bihar, the hilly tropical and evergreen forests of Orissa, the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala and Karnataka, the dry deciduous forests of Andhra Pradesh and the Southern moist deciduous forests of Tamil Nadu. Project Tiger is indisputably the custodian of major gene pools of the country and a repository of some of the most valuable ecosystems and habitats for wildlife.

    For the purpose of management, each reserve is comprised of two parts:- core and buffer. In the core area, forestry operations, collection of minor forest produce, grazing, human settlement and other human disturbances are not allowed. In the buffer zone, strictly controlled wildlife oriented forestry operations and grazing are allowed. The main thrust of the project is protection and reduction of harmful human impacts with a view to comprehensively revive the natural ecosystems in the reserves. However, during the Ninth Plan the major thrust would be to enlarge and diversify the activities and consolidate the progress made under this scheme until now.

    Upto 1979-80, the scheme operated as 100% centrally financed Plan Scheme, but during the Sixth Five Year Plan (1980-85), central finance was reduced to 50%. The State Government contributed the remaining 50% of the expenditure. The pattern of funding has been modified in 1986-87 as 100% central assistance on expenditure of non-recurring items and 50% on recurring items. Rupee 87.70 crore has been provided as central assistance since inception of the Project, that is from 1973-74 to 1997-98.

    The details of the Tiger Reserves are given below:-

    Project Tiger has completed twenty five years. The Project has been acclaimed internationally as one of the greatest conservation successes of modern times. It has not only put the tiger on an assured course of recovery from the brink of extinction, but more importantly for saving floral and faunal genetic diversity in some of the country’s unique and endangered wilderness ecosystems. The adoption of a total ecosystem approach has resulted in an overall improvement of habitat, an increase in number of wildlife and more importantly, better dispersal of animals leading to effective utilisation of habitat in the tiger reserves. The population of tigers has increased to 1,458 in 22 Tiger Reserves as per the1997 census. In 1995 the Tiger population in 22 reserves was 1,333.

    The activities under the scheme generate employment for both regular personnel and daily wagers. Among the regular personnel are senior technical officers and field professionals besides staff for protection and enforcement. Both protection and developmental activities under the project are labour intensive and generate considerable employment for rural communities in the interior forest areas. The scheme, consequently, provides substantial employment opportunities.

    Apart from direct employment opportunities, because of the effective protection and conservation measures inside the reserves, considerable indirect benefits, like:- arresting erosion, enrichment of the water management therefore improving the water table, provide indirect benefits to the animals and communities in the neighbourhood of the reserves.