Lok Sabha Passes Historic Wildlife Bill

Lok Sabha Clears Historic Wildlife Protection Bill

Why in the News ?

On August 21, 1972, the Lok Sabha passed the Wildlife (Protection) Bill, laying the foundation of modern wildlife conservation in India. The law replaced the outdated 1912 Act and paved the way for tiger reserves, sanctuaries, and national parks.

Lok Sabha Passes Historic Wildlife Bill

Background & Passage of the Bill:

  • Before 1972, wildlife hunting was a status symbol, leading to large-scale depletion of species.
  • The earlier law, Wild Birds and Animals Protection Act, 1912, was ineffective.
  • The Wildlife (Protection) Bill was introduced by Minister of State for Agriculture, Sher Singh, after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s strong backing.
  • Bureaucrat K. Ranjitsinh drafted the bill in February 1972; constitutional hurdles were overcome using Article 252, where states authorised Parliament to legislate on a state subject.
  • Within months, the Act was enacted, leading to Project Tiger’s launch in April 1973.

Key Provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

  • Created State Wildlife Advisory Boards for conservation planning.
  • Regulated hunting: Completely banned hunting of 613 species, including tiger, lion, snow leopard, rhino, musk deer, blackbuck, and dugong.
  • Allowed conditional hunting of some species (elephants, bisons, Himalayan brown bear) under strict license.
  • Declared procedures for designating sanctuaries and national parks.
  • Introduced stringent penalties for illegal hunting, trade, and possession of animal trophies/taxidermy.
  • Aligned India’s conservation law with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), especially after 2022 amendments.

Understanding Wildlife Protection in India:

●     Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Central legislation enabling wildlife conservation.

●     Constitutional Provisions:

○      Article 48A: State must protect environment and wildlife.

○      Article 51A(g): Fundamental duty of citizens to safeguard natural environment.

●     Schedules of WPA, 1972:

○      Schedule I: Highest protection (tiger, rhino).

○      Schedule II: Partial protection.

○      Schedule III & IV: Protected but lesser penalties.

○      Schedule V: Vermin species (hunting allowed).

○      Schedule VI: Regulates cultivation/trade of certain plants.

●     Key Initiatives under the Act:

○      Project Tiger (1973) → Created 53 tiger reserves.

○      Elephant Project (1992) → Protection of elephant corridors and reserves.

●     Institutions: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).

●     Significance: Forms the bedrock of India’s conservation policy, balancing species protection and habitat conservation.