Tiger Reserves in India Complete State-wise List, Landscape Map & UPSC Facts
India has 58 Tiger Reserves across 18 states, with Madhav Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) as the newest. Here is the full state-wise list, a landscape-wise map, and the facts UPSC keeps returning to while the All India Tiger Estimation 2026 is underway.
In 1973, India started Project Tiger with just 9 reserves. Today there are 58. And India, a country of 1.4 billion people, now holds about three-quarters of the world's wild tigers.
That's a remarkable conservation story. It's also a frustrating Prelims topic. Aspirants memorise Tiger Reserves in India as a list of 58 names, then freeze when UPSC asks which reserve a river flows through, or which state a lesser-known reserve belongs to.
At Legacy IAS Academy, we teach this topic the way it actually gets tested: by state, by landscape, and by the one fact that makes each reserve unique. This guide gives you all three.
Tiger Reserves in India: The Basics
Before the list, get the framework right. UPSC asks about the legal and institutional structure as often as it asks about the reserves themselves.
- Project Tiger: Launched on 1 April 1973 with 9 reserves. Jim Corbett is where it was formally launched.
- Legal basis: State governments notify Tiger Reserves under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, on the recommendation of the NTCA.
- NTCA: The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, created through the 2006 amendment to the Act.
- Zoning: Each reserve has a core or Critical Tiger Habitat, kept inviolate, and a buffer zone where regulated human use is allowed.
- Tiger count: The 2022 All India Tiger Estimation put the population at 3,682 (range 3,167–3,925). The sixth cycle began in January 2026, and its results are still awaited.
Brush up on the wider protected-area framework in our GS3 Environment & Ecology notes before you start memorising names.
Newest Tiger Reserves in India (2022–2025)
Here's the thing. UPSC tends to ask about recent additions and about reserves that have been in the news. Start your revision here.
| Tiger Reserve | State | Notified | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madhav | Madhya Pradesh (Shivpuri) | March 2025 | 58th reserve; MP's 9th |
| Ratapani | Madhya Pradesh (Raisen–Sehore) | December 2024 | 57th reserve; surrounds the Bhimbetka rock shelters |
| Guru Ghasidas–Tamor Pingla | Chhattisgarh | November 2024 | 56th reserve; one of India's largest, links Bandhavgarh and Palamau |
| Dholpur–Karauli | Rajasthan | 2023 | Chambal landscape; Rajasthan's 5th |
| Veerangana Durgavati | Madhya Pradesh | 2023 | Formed from Nauradehi and Durgavati sanctuaries |
| Ranipur | Uttar Pradesh (Chitrakoot) | 2022 | Bundelkhand region |
Madhya Pradesh got three new reserves in under two years, which is why it now leads with 9. Watch for further notifications, since several proposals in other states are pending. Track them through our daily current affairs and daily PIB summaries.
Complete State-wise List of Tiger Reserves in India
Below is the full list of all 58 Tiger Reserves, grouped state-wise. The 9 original Project Tiger reserves of 1973 are marked with an asterisk (*).
| State | No. | Tiger Reserves |
|---|---|---|
| Madhya Pradesh | 9 | Kanha*, Pench, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri, Veerangana Durgavati, Ratapani, Madhav |
| Maharashtra | 6 | Melghat*, Tadoba-Andhari, Pench, Sahyadri, Nawegaon-Nagzira, Bor |
| Karnataka | 5 | Bandipur*, Bhadra, Nagarahole, Dandeli-Anshi (Kali), Biligiri Ranganatha Temple (BRT) |
| Rajasthan | 5 | Ranthambore*, Sariska, Mukundra Hills, Ramgarh Vishdhari, Dholpur-Karauli |
| Tamil Nadu | 5 | Kalakad-Mundanthurai, Anamalai, Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam, Srivilliputhur-Megamalai |
| Assam | 4 | Manas*, Kaziranga, Nameri, Orang |
| Chhattisgarh | 4 | Achanakmar, Indravati, Udanti-Sitanadi, Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 3 | Namdapha, Pakke (Pakhui), Kamlang |
| Uttar Pradesh | 3 | Dudhwa, Pilibhit, Ranipur |
| Kerala | 2 | Periyar, Parambikulam |
| Odisha | 2 | Simlipal*, Satkosia |
| Telangana | 2 | Amrabad, Kawal |
| Uttarakhand | 2 | Corbett*, Rajaji |
| West Bengal | 2 | Sundarbans*, Buxa |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 | Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam |
| Bihar | 1 | Valmiki |
| Jharkhand | 1 | Palamau* |
| Mizoram | 1 | Dampa |
| Total | 58 | 18 States |
Note: Pench appears in both Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra as two separate reserves. Amangarh in Uttar Pradesh functions as the buffer of Corbett and is not counted as a separate reserve in the official tally of 58.
Tiger Reserves in India: Landscape-wise Map
Let's be honest. A list of 58 names won't stick. A mental map will. The NTCA groups tiger habitats into five major landscapes, and placing each reserve in its landscape is the fastest way to remember it.
| Landscape | Key Tiger Reserves | Remember It As |
|---|---|---|
| Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains | Corbett, Rajaji, Dudhwa, Pilibhit, Valmiki | Terai belt along the Himalayan foothills |
| Central India & Eastern Ghats | Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Tadoba, Satpura, Melghat, Simlipal, Achanakmar, Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam, Amrabad | India's tiger heartland, holding the largest share of tigers |
| Western Ghats | Bandipur, Nagarahole, Mudumalai, Periyar, Anamalai, Parambikulam, Sahyadri, Kali | One of the largest contiguous tiger populations in the world |
| North-East Hills & Brahmaputra Plains | Kaziranga, Manas, Nameri, Orang, Namdapha, Pakke, Kamlang, Dampa | Floodplain grasslands and dense hill forests |
| Sundarbans | Sundarbans | The only mangrove tiger habitat |
Rajasthan's reserves, such as Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra Hills, sit at the western edge of the Central Indian landscape in a dry, semi-arid habitat. Practise plotting all 58 on a blank map using our Geography notes for river and hill references.
Superlatives and Unique Facts UPSC Loves
Records You Must Know
- Largest reserve: Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh (about 3,296 sq km).
- Smallest reserve: Bor in Maharashtra is usually cited by core area; Orang in Assam is smallest by total notified area. Know both.
- Most reserves: Madhya Pradesh (9), followed by Maharashtra (6), then Karnataka, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu (5 each).
- Most tigers by state (AITE 2022): Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.
Unique Features to Remember
- Sundarbans: The world's only mangrove forest with tigers.
- Kaziranga: Better known for the one-horned rhinoceros, but also one of India's highest tiger densities.
- Sariska and Panna: Famous for successful tiger reintroduction after local extinction.
- Ratapani: Encloses the Bhimbetka rock shelters, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Namdapha: Known for having all four big cats of the region: tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard.
Never learn a Tiger Reserve as just a name. Learn it with its state, its landscape and one unique fact. UPSC rarely asks "Where is X?" It asks you to tell X apart from three reserves that sound just like it. — Legacy IAS Faculty
Key Initiatives Linked to Tiger Conservation
- All India Tiger Estimation: Conducted every four years by the NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India. The 2026 cycle is underway.
- Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE): Periodic assessment of how well each reserve is managed.
- CA|TS accreditation: Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards, a global accreditation several Indian reserves have received.
- M-STrIPES: A monitoring system for patrolling and ecological data in tiger reserves.
- International Big Cat Alliance: Launched by India in 2023 to mark 50 years of Project Tiger.
- Global Tiger Day: Observed on 29 July every year.
For a deeper look at Project Tiger, NTCA and critical tiger habitats, read our detailed Tiger Reserves, Project Tiger & NTCA UPSC notes.
How to Prepare Tiger Reserves in India for UPSC
- Start with landscapes. Learn the five landscapes first, then slot each reserve into one.
- Memorise the original 9. They're a classic question and an easy anchor for the rest.
- Revise new additions weekly. Keep the 2022–2025 table at your fingertips until the exam.
- Attach one fact per reserve. A river, a species, a record or a news event.
- Test regularly. Use our daily static quiz, solve Environment questions from UPSC Prelims previous year papers, and consolidate with our monthly current affairs compilations.
For Mains, link reserves to wider issues like human–wildlife conflict, corridors and community rights. Practise with our Mains practice questions, and check where the topic sits in the UPSC Prelims syllabus.
Frequently Asked Questions on Tiger Reserves in India
How many Tiger Reserves are there in India in 2026?
India has 58 Tiger Reserves across 18 states. Madhav Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, notified in March 2025, is the newest.
Which state has the most Tiger Reserves?
Madhya Pradesh, with 9. Maharashtra is second with 6.
Which was the first Tiger Reserve in India?
Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand, where Project Tiger was launched in 1973. It was one of the original nine reserves.
Who notifies a Tiger Reserve?
The state government notifies it under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, on the NTCA's recommendation.
Want structured Environment coverage with regular testing? Explore our UPSC Prelims course and the UPSC Prelims test series.
Key Takeaways
- India has 58 Tiger Reserves across 18 states; Madhav (MP) is the newest, notified in March 2025.
- Madhya Pradesh (9) leads, followed by Maharashtra (6), so revise these two states most carefully.
- Memorise the original 9 reserves of 1973; they're the easiest anchor for the whole list.
- Learn reserves by landscape, not alphabetically, to handle location-based questions.
- Know the legal chain: NTCA recommends, the state notifies under Section 38V, WPA 1972.
- Watch for AITE 2026 results; the latest completed count is 3,682 tigers (2022).
