CONTEXT

• Big cats are apex predators essential for ecosystem balance.
• India once had ~40,000 tigers at Independence; fell to ~1,800 by 1970 due to poaching/habitat loss.
• Project Tiger (1973) reversed this trend; India now has 3,600+ tigers (70% of global population).
• Growing global concern over threats like poaching, habitat fragmentation, and illegal wildlife trade.
• Big cats regulate prey populations, conserve ecosystems, prevent wildfires, store carbon, and support climate resilience.

CONCEPT: International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

• Launched: March 2024, by Government of India via National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• Announced: By PM Modi in 2023 (Project Tiger’s 50th anniversary, Mysuru).
• Mandate: Conservation of 7 big cats – Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, Puma.
• Purpose:
  • Foster global cooperation across 95 range countries.
  • Share conservation strategies, tech, research, and best practices.
  • Support capacity-building, habitat conservation, anti-poaching strategies.
• Funding: ₹150 crore allocated (2023–2028) by Govt. of India.
• Membership:
  • 25 countries joined as of Sep 2024 (e.g., Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Ecuador).
  • Open to all UN nations via formal diplomatic communication (Note Verbale).

CURRENT: First IBCA Assembly (June 2025)

• Held in: New Delhi, June 16, 2025.
• Hosted by: India; presided by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
• Endorsed as: IBCA President.
• SP Yadav (former IFS) appointed as Director General.
• Participating Countries: Bhutan, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Suriname, Somalia, Guinea, Eswatini, and India.
• Key Developments:
  • Ratified HQ agreement with India — IBCA to operate from India.
  • India to collaborate with Kazakhstan on snow leopard conservation.
  • Bilateral meetings with Liberia, Somalia, Guinea, Cambodia, and Eswatini.

Significance for India

• Enhances India’s global leadership in biodiversity conservation.
• Projects soft power through environmental diplomacy.
• Advances goals of climate action, sustainable development, and ecological security.