In Brief
The Supreme Court comprehensively addressed wildlife conservation governance in India's 51 Tiger Reserves through this judgment in the continuing T.N. Godavarman proceedings. It approved expert committee recommendations establishing that Tiger Safaris may operate in buffer zones only if paired with rescue centres and sourcing conflict/injured tigers from the same landscape—prohibited entirely in core habitats. The Court mandated Eco-Sensitive Zone notifications for all reserves within one year, designated all reserves as "Silence Zones" under noise rules, required Tiger Conservation Plans within three months, and ordered strict prohibition of commercial mining, polluting industries, and night tourism. Critically, it directed pan-India implementation of NTCA guidelines as binding requirements, established human resource and funding frameworks, and imposed ecological restoration obligations for Corbett Reserve estimated at ₹29.8 crores. States must fill vacancies, create specialist cadres, and provide enhanced benefits comparable to paramilitary forces, with monitoring by the Central Empowered Committee.
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