<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav has said that Tiger reserves have the potential of becoming engines of economic growth in the country. Mr. Yadav said that on an average, the tiger reserves generate employment for over 50 lakh man-days annually. The Union Minister said this, while speaking in an interview with a Daily Newspaper today, as India is celebrating the 50 years completion of Project Tiger.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The government had launched Project Tiger on 1st of April in 1973 to promote tiger conservation in the country. India has a total of 53 tiger reserves, which has over 70 percent of the global wild tiger population. As per the 2018 Tiger Census, the total tiger population in India is estimated at 2,967. The Union Minister said the government is trying to bring all potential tiger habitats under the coverage of Project Tiger by declaring them as tiger reserves.  He added that a few more tiger reserves will be declared soon.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Lauding the Project Tiger, the Minister said there is no parallel for a species-focused project of such a grand scale in the world. Mr. Yadav said the ProjectTiger has been successful in bringing tigers back from the brink of extinction. He said Tiger reserves are the epitome of biodiversity conservation as they get the highest degree of protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The Minister said the tiger reserves have also given alternative livelihood opportunities to people in the form of eco-tourism and ancillary activities. He also informed that as many as 23 of our tiger reserves have been recognised internationally by Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS).</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The Union Minister also thanked the National Tiger Conservation Authority and states for their efforts in tiger conservation. He said the tiger population is growing unlike in most of the other tiger range countries. He further added that With more than 70% global tiger population, India is the leader in the field of tiger conservation.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Talking about the Cheetahs translocated project, he said as of now eight cheetahs from Namibia and 12 from South Africa have been translocated and released in the Kuno National Park. He said as per the plan, 10-12 cheetahs are to be brought annually depending upon survival of the earlier batches.</span></p>