National Parks in India are IUCN Category II protected areas. They are notified under the Wild Life (Protection) Handling Act, 1972 (WLPA) by either the Central or State government. Once a National Park is declared, no human activity is permitted inside the zone except those explicitly permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state under conditions given in Chapter IV of the WLPA.
Legal and Structural Framework
Constitutional and Statutory Provisions
- Article 48A: Directs the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard wildlife.
- Article 51A(g): Imposes a fundamental duty on citizens to protect the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Section 35 empowers the State Government to declare an area as a National Park if it is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, or zoological significance.
- Key Restriction: Boundaries of a National Park cannot be altered except on a recommendation of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).
Categorical Differences in Protected Areas
The restriction levels vary significantly across National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Biosphere Reserves.
| Parameter | National Park | Wildlife Sanctuary | Biosphere Reserve |
| IUCN Category | Category II | Category IV | Not strictly a single category (MAB programme) |
| Human Activity | Strictly prohibited (No grazing, no private land rights) | Limited activity allowed (Grazing, timber collection permitted with regulation) | Divided into zones; core is prohibited, buffer/transition allows research and settlement |
| Species Focus | Focus is on an entire ecosystem | Can be focused on a particular species | Focuses on the biodiversity and cultural landscape of an entire region |
| Boundary Alteration | Requires NBWL resolution | Requires NBWL resolution | Determined by international guidelines and national laws |
Geographical Distribution by Natural Vegetation Zones
1. Tropical Wet Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen Forests
These regions feature high rainfall (above 250 cm) and dense multi-layered canopies. They are primarily found in the Western Ghats, Northeast India, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Silent Valley National Park (Kerala): Located in the Nilgiri Hills. It holds India’s last remaining pristine tropical evergreen forests. It is famous for the Lion-tailed Macaque and is drained by the Kunthipuzha River.
- Namdapha National Park (Arunachal Pradesh): Famous for being the only park in the world to host four big cat species: Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Clouded Leopard. It exhibits a unique altitudinal variation from tropical evergreen to alpine conditions.
- Campbell Bay National Park: Located in the Great Nicobar Island, protecting unique insular rainforest ecosystems.
2. Tropical Deciduous Forests (Moist and Dry)
This represents the most widespread vegetation type in India, receiving 70–200 cm of rainfall. These forests shed their leaves in dry seasons.
- Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh): Famous for rescuing the Bhoorsingh the Barasingha (Hard-ground Swamp Deer) from extinction. The vegetation is dominated by Sal and Bamboo forests.
- Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks (Karnataka): Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. They support the single largest wild population of Asian Elephants and Royal Bengal Tigers. The landscape features moist and dry deciduous tracts dominated by Teak and Rosewood.
- Gir National Park (Gujarat): Dominated by dry deciduous teak forests and thorny scrub. It is the exclusive natural habitat of the Asiatic Lion.
3. Montane Wet and Sub-Tropical Forests
Found in the high-altitude zones of the Himalayas and the higher peaks of the Western Ghats.
- Great Himalayan National Park (Himachal Pradesh): A UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring high-altitude alpine meadows (margs) and sub-alpine conifer forests. Key species include the Western Tragopan and the Musk Deer.
- Eravikulam National Park (Kerala): Shola-Grassland ecosystem characteristic of the Southern Western Ghats. It protects the largest surviving population of the Nilgiri Tahr. It is also famous for the mass blooming of the Neelakurinji flowers every 12 years.
4. Alpine and Sub-Alpine Forests
Characterized by dwarf shrubs, mosses, and lichens, located above the tree line in the trans-Himalayan belt.
- Hemis National Park (Ladakh): The largest National Park in India. It is globally renowned as the capital of the Snow Leopard. It lies in the rain-shadow region of the Himalayas, characterized by arid alpine vegetation.
- Valley of Flowers National Park (Uttarakhand): Located in the Garhwal Himalayas, famous for its endemic alpine flora and meadows. It forms a transition zone between the Zanskar range and the Great Himalayas.
5. Mangrove and Littoral Forests
Found along coastal deltas, tidal creeks, and salt marshes.
- Sundarbans National Park (West Bengal): The largest mangrove forest ecosystem in the world, formed by the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers. It is the only mangrove habitat hosting the Royal Bengal Tiger. It is also a Ramsar site.
Key National Parks, Intersecting Rivers, and Target Species
The intersection of drainage systems and key flagship fauna is a recurring focus in civil services examinations.
| National Park | State | Intersecting Rivers / Water Bodies | Flagship / Key Fauna |
| Kaziranga | Assam | Brahmaputra, Diphlu, Mora Diphlu | Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Wild Water Buffalo |
| Jim Corbett | Uttarakhand | Ramganga, Kosi | Bengal Tiger, Asian Elephant |
| Keoladeo Ghana | Rajasthan | Gambhir, Banganga (Artificial wetlands) | Siberian Crane (historical), Resident waterfowl |
| Manas | Assam | Manas River, Beki River | Pygmy Hog, Assam Roofed Turtle, Golden Langur |
| Papi Konda | Andhra Pradesh | Godavari River | Golden Jackal, Indian Spotted Chevrotain |
| Kanger Valley | Chhattisgarh | Kanger River | Bastar Hill Myna |
| Similipal | Odisha | Budhabalanga, Baitarani, Salandi | Melanistic (Black) Tigers, Asian Elephant |
| Dachigam | Jammu & Kashmir | Dagwan River | Hangul or Kashmir Stag |
| Nokrek | Meghalaya | Simsang River | Red Panda, Pig-tailed Macaque |
| Periyar | Kerala | Periyar River, Pamba River | Asian Elephant, Nilgiri Langur |
| Ranthambore | Rajasthan | Banas River, Chambal River | Royal Bengal Tiger |
Ecological Extremes and Unique Geography
Floating Ecosystem of Keibul Lamjao
Located in Manipur, Keibul Lamjao National Park is the only floating national park in the world. It forms an integral part of the Loktak Lake ecosystem (a Ramsar site under the Montreux Record). The park consists of a floating decomposed mass of vegetation known as Phumdis. It is the last natural habitat of the critically endangered Sangai (Eld’s deer), also known as the dancing deer due to its gait while navigating the floating vegetation.
Marine National Parks
India has specialized marine ecosystems protected under the National Park framework.
- Marine National Park (Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat): The first marine national park in India. It features coral reefs, mangroves, sea grasses, and sponges.
- Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (Andaman Islands): Protects nesting grounds of sea turtles, including the Leatherback turtle, across labyrinthine islands.
- Rani Jhansi Marine National Park (Andaman and Nicobar Islands): Encompasses mangrove conservation areas and coral reefs.
Trans-Boundary Protected Areas
- Manas National Park: Contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan.
- Sundarbans National Park: Shares its geographical boundary and mangrove continuum with the Sundarban Reserve Forest of Bangladesh.
Critical Trivia for Civil Services Prelims
- Oldest National Park: Established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, later renamed Ramganga, and currently known as Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
- Smallest National Park: South Button Island National Park in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, measuring approximately 0.03 square kilometers.
- Highest National Park: Hemis National Park in Ladakh, situated at an altitude ranging between 3,300 and 6,000 meters above sea level.
- Maximum National Parks: The state of Madhya Pradesh and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands contain the highest number of individual National Park designations in India.
- Khangchendzonga National Park (Sikkim): India’s only “Mixed World Heritage Site” recognized by UNESCO, honoring both its ecological significance (high-altitude biosphere) and its cultural value to the local communities.