In news : Probe has been instituted into a case of turtle poaching under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
About the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
India’s Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 is a comprehensive piece of legislation that regulates sanctuaries, national parks, and zoos among other protected locations.
The Act provides the legal framework for the protection of various species of wild animals, management of their habitat and also for the regulation and control of trade in the products derived from various parts of wild animals. The Act has been amended earlier in 1982, 1986, 1991, 1993, 2003 and 2006 and 2013
Aim : Its primary aim is to curb the illegal trade in wildlife and the derivative parts.
Authorities under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:
The act provides for appointment of Director and other officers.
It states that the Central Government may, for the purposes of this Act, appoint
- A Director of WildLife Preservation- In the performance of his duties and exercise of his powers by or under this Act, the Director shall be subject to such general or special directions, as the Central Government may, from time to time, give.
- Appointment of Life Warden and other officers: The State Government May, for the purpose of this Act, appoint
- a Chief WildLife Warden: In the performance of his duties and exercise of his powers by or under this Act, the Chief Wild Life Warden shall be subject to such general or special directions, as the State Government may from time to time.
- Wild Life Wardens and Honorary Wild Life Wardens: The Wild Life Warden, the Honorary Wild Life Warden and other officers and employees appointed under this section shall be subordinate to the Chief Wild Life Warden
- Power to Delegate: As per the act, the Director may, with the previous approval of the Central Government, by order in writing, delegate all or any of his powers and duties under this Act to any officer subordinate to him subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the order and Chief Wild Life Warden can do so with the approval of State Government
National Board for Wild Life & its Composition
It states that Central Government shall, within three months from the date of commencement of the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002 , constitute the National Board for Wild Life consisting of the following members, namely:
- The Prime Minister as Chairperson
- The Minister in-charge of Forests and Wild Life as Vice-Chairperson
- Three members of Parliament of whom two shall be from the House of the People and one from the Council of States
- Member, Planning Commission(Niti Aayog replaced it) in-charge of Forests and Wild Life
- Five persons to represent non-governmental organizations to be nominated by the Central Government
- Ten persons to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst eminent conservationists, ecologists and environmentalists
- The Secretary to the Government of India in-charge of the Ministry or Department of the Central Government dealing with Forests and Wild Life
- The Chief of the Army Staff
- The Secretary to the Government of India in-charge of the Ministry of Defence
- The Secretary to the Government of India in-charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- The Secretary to the Government of India in-charge of the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance
- The Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Tribal Welfare
- The Directors of -General of Forests in the Ministry or Department of the Central Government dealing with Forests and Wild Life
- The Director-General of Tourism, Government of India
- The Director-General, Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun
- The Director, Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun
- The Director, Zoological Survey of India
- The Director, Botanical Survey of India
- The Director, Indian Veterinary Research Institute
- The Member-Secretary, Central Zoo Authority
- The Director, National Institute of Oceanography
- one representative each from ten States and Union territories by rotation, to be nominated by the Central Government
- The Director of Wild Life Preservation who shall be the Member-Secretary of the National Board
The term of office of the members other than those who are members ex officio, the manner of filling vacancies referred to in clauses (e), (f) and (v) of sub-section (1), and the procedure to be followed in the discharge of their functions by the members of the National Board shall be such, as may be prescribed.
The members (except members ex officio) shall be entitled to receive such allowances in respect of expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as may be prescribe
Standing Committee of the National Board.
- The National Board may, in its discretion, constitute a Standing Committee for the purpose of exercising such powers and performing such duties as may be delegated to the Committee by the National Board.
- The Standing Committee shall consist of the Vice-Chairperson, the Member-Secretary, and not more than ten me
Functions of the National Board
- It shall be the duty of the National Board to promote the conservation and development of wild life and forests by such measures as it thinks fit.
- Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, the measures referred to therein may provide for:
- Framing policies and advising the Central Government and the State Governments on the ways and means of promoting wild life conservation and effectively controlling poaching and illegal trade of wild life and its products
- Making recommendations on the setting up of and management of national parks, sanctuaries and other protected areas and on matters relating to restriction of activities in those areas
- Carrying out or causing to be carried but impact assessment of various projects and activities on wild life or its habitat
- Reviewing from time to time, the progress in the field of wild life conservation in the country and suggesting measures for improvement thereto; and
- Preparing and publishing a status report at least once in two years on wild life in the country.
Constitution of State Board for Wild Life
The State Government shall, within a period of six months from the date of commencement of the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002 (16 of 2003) constitute a State Board for Wild Life consisting of the following members, namely:
- The Chief Minister of the State and in case of the Union territory, either Chief Minister or Administrator, as the case may be – Chairperson
- The Minister in-charge of Forests and Wild Life – Vice-Chairperson
- Three members of the State Legislature or in the case of a Union territory with Legislature, two members of the Legislative Assembly of that Union territory
- Three persons to represent non-governmental organizations dealing with wild life to be nominated by the State Government
- Ten persons to be nominated by the State Government from amongst eminent conservationists, ecologists and environmentalists including at least two representatives of the Scheduled Tribes;
- The Secretary to the State Government or the Government of the Union territory, as the case may be, in-charge of Forests and Wild Life
- The Officer in-charge of the State Forest Department
- The Secretary to the State Government, Department of Tribal Welfare
- The Managing Director, State Tourism Development Corporation
- An officer of the State Police Department not below the rank of Inspector-General;
- A representative of the Armed Forces not below the rank of a Brigadier to be nominated by the Central Government
- The Director, Department of Animal Husbandry of the State
- The Director, Department of Fisheries of the State
- An officer to be nominated by the Director, Wild Life Preservation
- A representative of the Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun
- A representative of the Botanical Survey of India
- A representative of the Zoological Survey of India
- The Chief Wild Life Warden, who shall be the Member-Secretary.
