Why in news? In an international event held, at Mysuru, to commemorate 50 years of Project Tiger,  the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi  launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) for conservation of seven big cats namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma harbouring our planet.

Highlights

• Aim of the project: to reach out to 97 range countries covering the natural habitats of Tiger, Lion, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar, and Cheetah.
• IBCA would further strengthen global cooperation and efforts to conserve the wild denizens, especially the big cats
• Under the alliance, the member countries will share their experiences, help their fellow countries quicker, and lay emphasis on research, training, and capacity building

The need for the project:

• Conserving big cats and their habitats can secure some of the most important natural ecosystems on Earth leading to natural climate change adaptation, water, and food security for millions of people, and provide livelihood and sustenance to forest communities.
• The Alliance will strengthen global efforts and partnerships on big cat conservation, while evolving a platform for convergence of knowledge and best practices, supporting existing species specific inter-governmental platforms
• Also provide direct support to recovery efforts in potential range habitats.

Constituents of the International Big Cat Alliance

• The IBCA will be led by a council of seven members.
• These members will be elected by the UN General assembly and the term of the members will be five years.
• The council will recommend the appointment of secretaries to the IBCA. India will support IBCA for the first five years. Later on, the IBCA is to sustain and survive on its own through member fees and funds from private organizations.