The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 aims to protect wildlife in India through prohibiting hunting of protected animal species, regulating trade of endangered plants, and establishing wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. Key features include banning hunting of animals listed in schedules I-IV, prohibiting cutting/uprooting of specified plants, and constituting the National Board for Wildlife and State Boards to advise on conservation policies and approve projects impacting protected areas. The Act also established bodies like the Central Zoo Authority and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to regulate zoos and combat wildlife crime.

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Presented by:
HARJLAI
DEBBARMA, M.Sc.
Forestry &
Biodiversity, Tripura
University

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INTRODUCTION:
 The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament
of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species.
Before 1972, India had only five designated national parks.
Among other reforms, the Act established scheduled protected
plant and hunting certain animal species or harvesting these
species was largely outlawed. The Act provides for the protection
of wild animals, birds and plants; and for matters connected
therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto. It extends to the
whole of India.
 The Act consist of Six Schedule and Eight Chapters

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OBJECTIVES:
1. To safeguard and develop the environment.
2. To carry out the conclusions reached at the 1972 United Nations Conference on the
Human Environment in Stockholm.
3. To punish anyone who harms the environment.
4. Enforcing environmental regulations in locations not covered by existing legislation.
5. Give the central government complete authority to enact severe environmental
protection measures.
6. The main purpose of the law is to ensure the protection of wildlife, birds, and plants.
7. The law gives the federal government the power to declare certain areas such as a
sanctuary or a national park, wildlife hunting bans and bring punishment for their
violation.

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MAIN FEATURES OF WILDLIFE
PROTECTION ACT, 1972
• Prohibition ofAnimal Hunting:
 Animal Wildlife hunting is banned. Wildlife hunting is prohibited as
described in the appendix. However, there are other exceptions. Any animal
that was killed or injured was not a crime and shall be of government
purpose. The government may allow some animals to be killed for
educational purposes.
• Prohibition of Cutting or Uprooting Specified Plants:
It prohibits the uprooting, damage, collection, possession or selling of any
specified plant from any forest land or any protected area

5.  Declaration and Protection of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks:
 The Central Government can constitute any area as a Sanctuary, provided the area
is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological
significance.
• Government Property:
 The Wildlife Conservation Act says that if an animal is hunted in a sanctuary or
National Park, such animal or any animal article shall be the property of the
Government.

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Bodies Constituted under the Act
1. National Board for Wildlife (NBWL):
• It serves as an apex body for the review of all wildlife- related
matters and for the approval of projects in and around national
parks and sanctuaries.
• The NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister and is responsible for
promotion of conservation and development of wildlife and forests.
• The Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the
Vice-Chairperson of the board.
• The board is ‘advisory’ in nature and can only advise the
Government on policy making for conservation of wildlife.

7. 2. Standing Committee of NBWL:
• The NBWL constitutes a Standing Committee for the purpose of approving all
the projects falling within protected wildlife areas or within 10 km of them.
• The committee is chaired by the Minister of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change.
3. State Board forWildlife (SBWL):
• The state governments are responsible for the constitution of the state board
wildlife.
• The Chief Minister of the state or UT is the chairperson of the board.

8. 4. Central ZooAuthority:
• The act provides for the constitution of Central Zoo Authority consisting of a
total 10 members including the Chairperson and a Member-Secretary.
• The Environment Minister is the chairperson.
• The authority provides recognition to zoos and is also tasked with regulating
the zoos across the country.
5. National Tiger ConservationAuthority (NTCA):
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was constituted in 2005 for
strengthening tiger conservation.
• The Union Environment Minister is the Chairperson of NTCA and the State
Environment Minister is the Vice- Chairperson.

9. 6. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB):
• The act provided for the constitution of Wildlife
Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to combat organised
wildlife crime in the country.
• The Bureau has its headquarters in New Delhi.

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Schedules under the Act
 Schedule I:
• It covers endangered species that need rigorous protection. The species
are granted protection from poaching, killing, trading etc.
• A person is liable to the harshest penalties for violation of the law under
this Schedule.
• Species under this Schedule are prohibited to be hunted throughout India,
except under threat to human life or in case of a disease that is beyond
recovery.

11.  Schedule II:
 Animals under this list are also accorded high protection with the
prohibition on their trade.
• They cannot be hunted except under threat to human life or if they are
suffering from a disease or disorder that goes beyond recovery.
 Schedule III & IV:
• Species that are not endangered are included under Schedule III and IV.
• This includes protected species with hunting prohibited but the penalty for
any violation is less compared to the first two schedules.

12.  Schedule V:
• This schedule contains animals that are considered as vermin(small
wild animals that carry disease and destroy plants and food). These
animals can be hunted.
 Schedule VI:
• It provides for regulation in cultivation of a specified plant and
restricts its possession, sale and transportation.
• Both cultivation and trade of specified plants can only be carried
out with prior permission of competent authority.