Context: Recently, the Prime Minister of India chaired his first-ever meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) at Gujarat’s Gir National Park. This was the first full-body NBWL meeting since 2012.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: National Board for Wildlife
Mains: National Board for Wildlife- Criticisms
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)
- Established in 2003 after amending the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- NBWL replaced the Indian Board for Wildlife (IBWL) of 1952.
- It is the apex advisory body for wildlife conservation and policy formulation.
- Key responsibilities:
- Formulating wildlife conservation policies.
- Recommending the establishment of new National Parks and Sanctuaries.
- Overseeing the implementation of the Wild Life Protection Act.
- Composition: Total 47 members
- Chaired by: Prime Minister
- Vice-Chairperson: Union Environment Minister
- Other Members:
- Chief of Army Staff.
- Secretaries from key ministries (Defence, Tribal Affairs, Information & Broadcasting, Finance)
- Three Lok Sabha MPs and one Rajya Sabha MP.
- Director General of Forests.
- Ten eminent conservationists, ecologists, and environmentalists.
- Five representatives from the non-governmental sector.
- Standing Committee: appraises projects on forest land, protected areas, and eco-sensitive zones.
Criticism faced by NBWL
- Clearance of development projects: Several projects approved despite environmental concerns, such as:
- Ken-Betwa River Linking Project: Submerging 100 sq km of Panna Tiger Reserve.
- Vedanta Oil Exploration in Assam: Threatening Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary.
- Denotification of Galathea Bay Sanctuary (2021): Impacting leatherback sea turtle nesting sites.
- Alleged dilution of powers:
- After 2014, reconstitution reduced the number of independent conservation experts.
- Increased influence of government-affiliated institutions like Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation (GEER).
- Lack of Regular full-body meetings:
- Before the 2025 meeting, the last full-body meeting of NBWL was held in 2012.
Indian Board for Wildlife (IBWL)
- Established in 1952 as the Central Board for Wildlife.
- Objective: Address the decline in wildlife populations.
- Notable Initiatives:
- Declared peacock as the National Bird in 1961.
- Supported Indira Gandhi government’s initiatives for wildlife conservation, leading to:
- Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
- Project Tiger (1973).
- Gir National Park establishment.
- Transition to NBWL: 2003 amendment of the Wild Life Protection Act replaced IBWL with NBWL.