Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 · Schedule changes
7 min read · Updated 2026-08-02
What is the Wildlife (Protection) Act?
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 is India's central law for protecting wild animals and plants and for creating protected areas. It was enacted on 9 September 1972, took effect on 1 October 1972 and followed the Stockholm Conference of that year. The 2022 amendment restructured its schedules from six to four and aligned them with CITES. National parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves rest on it.
The story
It is 9 September 1972. India enacts the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 — the first comprehensive wildlife conservation law. Inspired by the Stockholm Conference 1972 on environment + India's hosting role under PM Indira Gandhi.
For UPSC, WPA + Schedules + Protected Areas are heavily tested in Prelims + Mains GS-III.
Why this matters for UPSC
For UPSC:
- Prelims: WPA 1972 Schedules + 2022 amendment + Protected Areas + Project Tiger + Project Elephant + biodiversity laws.
- Mains GS-III: Conservation strategy + WPA Amendment 2022 + human-wildlife conflict.