Guru Ghasidas National Park To Become India’s 53rd Tiger Reserve

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The Chhattisgarh government has decided to declare Guru Ghasidas National Park in the state’s Korea district as a tiger reserve.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Other Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh:

Indravati in Bijapur district
Udanti-Sitanadi in Gariaband
Achanakmar in Bilaspur

Objective of the meeting:

action plans for conservation of the wild buffalo
Conservation plan for the state bird hill myna and vultures
Increase the population of tigers in the state
Protection measures for the tigers
Emphasis was laid on increasing number of tigers in Chhattisgarh and their safety measures like radio collaring system for tiger safety as well as resettlement of more cheetahs from Barnavapara Sanctuary to Guru Ghasi Das National Park and Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve.
Chhattisgarh government’s decision to declare Guru Ghasidas National Park as a tiger reserve is a significant move for the conservation of big cats and ensuring employment to locals, besides preventing illegal mining in the area.

The decision was also taken to develop water sources for wild animals in the state’s forests, construction of large ponds in the forest villages and plantation of fruits and vegetables especially Narwali vegetables, plantation of bamboo and banana so that these wild animals won’t have to wander here and there for food and fodder.

About Guru Ghasidas National Park

The history of Guru Ghasidas National Park dates back to the year 1981 when it was established.
During this time, Guru Ghasidas was called Sanjay National Park and was a more significant area in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
The area of the park was then divided into two parts during the formation of the state of Chhattisgarh in 2000.
During this time 60 per cent of Sanjay National Park fell under the district of Koriya in Chhattisgarh.
This part of the park was then renamed Guru Ghasidas National Park after the famous Satnami reformist hero.

Project Tiger

Project Tiger was launched in 1973 with 9 tiger reserves for conserving our national animal, the tiger.
Currently, the Project Tiger coverage has increased to 50, spread out in 18 tiger range states.
The tiger reserves are constituted on a core/buffer strategy. The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area.
It is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves.

He advocated equal rights for all the untouchable communities.
Ghasidas was unlettered like his fellow untouchables. He deeply resented the harsh treatment to his brotherhood, and continued searching for solutions but was unable to find the right answer.
In search of the right path he decided to go to Jaganath Puri and on his way at Sarangarh (presently in Chhattisgarh) he attained true knowledge.
The Satnam Panth (sect) is said to be based on these principles formulated by Ghasidas.
They were honest, industrious and have formed a brotherhood calling themselves Satnamis.
Satnam means good name by good work Guru Ghasidas through Satnamin principlesinitiated a socio-religious order, which rejected the premier position of Brahmins and completely demolished the exploitative and hierarchical caste system.

Question:

Consider the following statements:

1. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) conducts a tiger census across India, every 4 years.
2. The 2018 tiger census uses more technology including a mobile app named “MSTrIPES” for the very first time to store information of the counting.

Which of the given statement is/are correct?
A) Only 1
B) Only 2
C) Both 1 and 2
D) None of the above