Question

What are the salient features of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972?

Answer 1

Hint: This Act was enacted with the purpose of protecting the various species of flora and fauna across the country. It applies across all the states of India except for Jammu and Kashmir.

Complete answer:
The salient features of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 are as follows:
1. Prohibition of hunting: It prevents hunting of any animal specified that is in Schedules I, II, III and IV of the act. There is however one exception, i.e. any wild animal listed in the above-stated schedules can only be killed if permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the state is granted. This permission is granted only when;
i) The wild animal becomes too dangerous for humans or;
ii) is disabled or suffering from a disease from which it cannot recover.
2. Prohibition of Cutting/Uprooting Certain Plants: It does not permit the uprooting, damaging, possessing or selling of any specified plant from any forest land or any protected area. As an exception, the CWLW, however, may allow the uprooting and collection of certain plants for educational or research purposes.
3. Declaring and Protecting Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks: The Central Government can declare any given area as a Wildlife Sanctuary, provided the area is of adequate significance in terms of ecology, fauna, flora, geomorphology etc. The government also appoints a Collector to administer the area that the government has declared as a Sanctuary.
4. The Wildlife Protection Act also provides for the constitution of bodies to be set up under this act. For example, the National and State Board for Wildlife, Central Zoo Authority, National Tiger Conservation Authority etc.
5. Government Property: The wild animals that are hunted, animal articles or meat of a wild animal etc. are considered to be the property of the Central Government.
6. It provides legal powers to officers to punish the offenders.
7. It provides trade and commerce in some wildlife species within a license for sale, possession, transfer etc,
8. It imposes a ban on trade and commerce in scheduled animals.

Note: Some Government bodies that have been established under this Act are;
i) NBWL – National Board of Wildlife serves as the apex body for reviewing wildlife-related matters.
ii) Standing Committee of NBWL – It is chaired by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and approves or restricts projects within protected wildlife areas.
iii) SBWL – State Board of Wildlife is the apex body at the state level.