Cheetah Project Steering Committee constituted

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has formed a Cheetah Project Steering Committee, superseding the previous Cheetah Task Force, as per the decision made in a meeting with the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Government of Madhya Pradesh, chaired by the Director General of Forests & Special Secretary, in continuation of the Office Memorandum dated 22nd September 2022.

The members of the committee are as follows:

1. Dr. Rajesh Gopal, Secretary General, Global Tiger Forum, New Delhi – Chairman
2. Shri R. N. Mehrotra, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & HoFF/CWLW, Rajasthan – Member
3. Shri P. R. Sinha, former Director, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun – Member
4. Dr. H. S. Negi, former APCCF Wildlife – Member, NTCA
5. Dr. P. K. Malik, former Faculty at WII – Member, NTCA
6. Shri G. S. Rawat, former Dean, Wildlife Institute of India/ Member WII Society, Dehradun – Member
7. Ms Mittal Patel, Social Worker, Founder Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM), Ahmedabad – Member
8. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh – Member
9. Prof. Qamar Qureshi, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun – Member
10. Inspector General, NTCA, New Delhi – Member
11. Shri Subhoranjan Sen, APCCF- Wildlife – Member Convener

The committee will also have a consulting panel of international Cheetah experts for advice as and when required. The international experts are as follows:

1. Prof. Adrian Tordiffe, Veterinary Wildlife Specialist, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
2. Dr. Laurie Marker, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Namibia
3. Dr. Andrew John Fraser, Farm Olievenbosch, South Africa
4. Mr. Vincent van dan Merwe, Manager, Cheetah Metapopulation Project, The Metapopulation Initiative, South Africa

The terms of reference for the Steering Committee are as follows:

1. To review, monitor, and provide advice on the Cheetah introduction to the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and NTCA.
2. To suggest regulations and guidelines for opening Cheetah habitat for eco-tourism.
3. To provide suggestions on community interface and their involvement in project activities.

The Steering Committee will be active for a period of two years and will hold at least one meeting every month. It may invite additional experts for consultation as required. The committee will seek advice from the panel of international Cheetah experts as needed. The functioning of the committee will be facilitated by the NTCA and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Travel costs for non-official members and other incidental expenses will be borne by the NTCA according to existing rules.