Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

• The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 has been in effect for 51 years, and throughout that time, it has been successful in preserving a number of endangered species. The law has been essential in preserving the various fauna of the nation.
• In order to guarantee environmental and ecological security, this Act provides for the protection of the nation's wild animals, birds, and plant species. The Act, among other things, imposes limitations on the hunting of several animal species. The Act was most recently modified in 2006. A Standing Committee was consulted when an amendment bill was presented in the Rajya Sabha in 2013; however, it was withdrawn in 2015.

About wildlife protection act 1972

• The Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 establishes a legislative framework for the preservation of different wild animal and plant species as well as for the management of those species' habitats and the regulation and control of the trade in those species' parts as well as in products manufactured from them.
• The act also includes schedules of plants and animals that are subject to varied levels of government protection and oversight.
• The Wildlife Act facilitated India's admission to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
• Jammu and Kashmir was not previously included in the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act. As a result of the restructuring act, J&K is now covered under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.

Constitutional Provisions for the Wildlife Act

• The State must safeguard the environment, improve it, and protect wildlife and forests, according to Article 48A of the Indian Constitution. The 42nd Amendment, which was adopted in 1976, added this provision to the Constitution.
• Certain fundamental obligations are placed on Indian citizens by Article 51A. A couple of these include having compassion for all living things and preserving and enhancing the natural environment, which includes woods, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.

Histroical prespective

• The British Indian Government passed the Wild Birds Protection Act, 1887, which was the first such law, in 1887. The rule aimed to make it illegal to own and sell certain wild birds that were either shot or captured while mating.
• The Wild Birds and Animals Protection Act was introduced as a second statute in 1912. With the passage of the Wild Birds and Animals Protection (Amendment) Act 1935, this was modified.
• Wildlife preservation was not given a high priority during the British Raj. The concern about wildlife preservation and keeping some species from going extinct didn't really take off until 1960.

Feature of the act

• The Act establishes wildlife advisory boards and wildlife wardens and outlines their responsibilities and authority.
• It facilitated India's ratification of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) convention.
• A multinational agreement called CITES aims to preserve threatened species of plants and animals.
• It was approved as a consequence of an IUCN member meeting and is also referred to as the Washington Convention.
• For the first time, a thorough list of the nation's endangered animals was created.
• Hunting endangered species was outlawed by the Act.
• The Act's provisions forbid the trading of animals that have been scheduled.
• A licence is required by the Act in order to buy, sell, or possess certain wildlife species.
• It enables the creation of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, etc.
• Its clauses made it possible to establish the Central Zoo Authority. This is the main organisation in charge of managing India's zoos. 1992 saw the establishment of it.
• The Act established six schedules with differing levels of protection for various flora and wildlife classes.
• Schedule I and Schedule II (Part II) are completely protected, and offences that violate these schedules are subject to the harshest punishments.
• The schedules also list the huntable animals.
• Under the terms of this Act, the National Board for Wildlife was established as a statutory organisation.
• The central government of India is advised by this advisory council on matters pertaining to wildlife protection in India.
• The top body is also responsible for reviewing and approving all items pertaining to wildlife, projects in national parks and sanctuaries, etc.
• The Board's main responsibility is to encourage the preservation and development of forests and animals.
• The Prime Minister is in charge of it.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority was to be established in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
• It is a formal division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change with general coordination and supervision responsibilities as specified by the Act.
• Its mission is to improve tiger conservation efforts in India.
• It gives Project Tiger formal power, which was started in 1973 and has successfully prevented the extinction of the endangered tiger by putting it on a guaranteed road to revival.

Schedule under act

• The endangered species listed in Schedule I require strict protection.
• For breaking the law as set forth in this Schedule, a person is subject to the harshest punishments.
• In India, it is against the law to hunt any of the species included in this Schedule unless a threat to human life or an incurable illness exists.
• The Black Buck, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Bear, and Asiatic Cheetah are just a few of the creatures in Schedule I.
• Schedule II: Trade in the animals on this list is prohibited, and they also receive strong protection.
• The Indian Cobra, Himalayan Black Bear, and Assamese Macaque are just a few of the creatures in Schedule II.
• Schedules III and IV comprise species that are not in risk of extinction.
• This includes species that are protected from hunting, though the penalty for doing so is less severe than it is under the first two schedules.
• Chital (spotted deer), Bharal (blue sheep), Hyena, and Sambhar (deer) are among the species protected under Schedule III.
• The flamingo, hare, falcon, kingfisher, magpie, and horseshoe crab are among the animals protected under Schedule IV.
• Schedule V: Vermin (tiny wild animals that spread disease and eat and destroy crops) are included in this schedule. These creatures are huntable.
• Only four types of wild animals are found there: common crows, fruit bats, rats, and mice.

Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022:

• The Act aims to expand the list of species protected by law and put CITES into effect.
• A total of four schedules are now available:
• Animal species with the highest level of protection are listed in Schedule I.
• Animal species with less protection are listed in Schedule II.
• Plant species that are protected are included in Schedule III, and CITES specimens are listed in Schedule IV.
• According to the Act, elephants may be used for "religious or other purposes."
• For offences involving both generally and specifically protected animals, the penalties have also been enhanced.

Challanges

• Despite being in place for more than 50 years, the Act has not been successful in effectively reaching the general public. The significance of wildlife conservation and the rules governing it are still largely unknown to many people.
• Conflict between humans and wildlife has increased as a result of the growing human population and the encroachment on wildlife habitats. This frequently results in the WPA-prohibited slaughter of wildlife.
• India has seen a sharp rise in the illegal wildlife trade, which poses a serious threat to the species there. Poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife items are still very much in existence despite strict restrictions.

Conclusion

• Despite being in place for more than 50 years, the WPA 1972 still faces a number of difficulties. It will take a coordinated effort from the government, civil society, and the general public to address these issues. Some actions that can be performed to safeguard India's wildlife and its ecosystems include effective enforcement, community involvement, and awareness-raising efforts.