National Parks in India
Introduction
- India’s first national park in India was established in 1936 as “Jim Corbett National Park”. By 1970 Indian only had five national parks, In 1972 India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Project Tiger to safeguard the habitats of conservation- reliant species. Further federal legislation was introduced in the 1980s.
- An area, whether within a sanctuary or not, can be notified by the state government to be constituted as a National Park, by reason of its ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, or zoological association or importance, needed to for the purpose of protecting & propagating or developing wildlife therein or its environment. No human activity is permitted inside the national park except for the ones permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state under the conditions given in CHAPTER IV, WPA 1972. There are 106 existing national parks in India covering an area of 44,402.95 km2.
List of National Parks (As on July, 2023)
| Name of State | No. of PAs | Name of Protected Area | Year of Creation | Area (in km2) |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 | Papikonda | 2008 | 1012.8588 |
| 2 | Rajiv Gandhi (Rameswaram) | 2005 | 2.3952 | |
| 3 | Sri Venkateswara | 1989 | 353.62 | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | Mouling | 1986 | 483.00 |
| 2 | Namdapha | 1983 | 1807.82 | |
| Assam | 1 | Dibru-Saikhowa | 1999 | 340.00 |
| 2 | Dihing Patkai | 2021 | 234.26 | |
| 3 | Kaziranga | 1974 | 889.51 | |
| 4 | Manas | 1990 | 500.00 | |
| 5 | Nameri | 1998 | 200.00 | |
| 6 | Rajiv Gandhi (Orang) | 1999 | 78.81 | |
| 7 | Raimona | 2021 | 422.00 | |
| Bihar | 1 | Valmiki | 1989 | 335.65 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 | Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) | 1981 | 1440.71 |
| 2 | Indravati (Kutru) | 1982 | 1258.37 | |
| 3 | Kanger Valley | 1982 | 200.00 | |
| Goa | 1 | Mollem | 1992 | 107.00 |
| Gujarat | 1 | Blackbuck (Velavadar) | 1976 | 34.53 |
| 2 | Gir | 1975 | 258.71 | |
| 3 | Marine (Gulf of Kachchh) | 1982 | 162.89 | |
| 4 | Vansda | 1979 | 23.99 | |
| Haryana | 1 | Kalesar | 2003 | 46.82 |
| 2 | Sultanpur | 1989 | 1.43 | |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1 | Great Himalayan | 1984 | 754.40 |
| 2 | Inderkilla | 2010 | 94.00 | |
| 3 | Khirganga | 2010 | 705.00 | |
| 4 | Pin Valley | 1987 | 675.00 | |
| 5 | Col. Sherjung Simbalbara | 2010 | 27.88 | |
| Jharkhand | 1 | Betla | 1986 | 226.33 |
| Karnataka | 1 | Anshi | 1987 | 417.34 |
| 2 | Bandipur | 1974 | 872.24 | |
| 3 | Bannerghatta | 1974 | 260.51 | |
| 4 | Kudremukh | 1987 | 600.57 | |
| 5 | Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) | 1988 | 643.39 | |
| Kerala | 1 | Anamudi Shola | 2003 | 7.50 |
| 2 | Eravikulam | 1978 | 97.00 | |
| 3 | Mathikettan Shola | 2003 | 12.82 | |
| 4 | Pambadum Shola | 2003 | 1.32 | |
| 5 | Periyar | 1982 | 350.00 | |
| 6 | Silent Valley | 1984 | 89.52 | |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1 | Bandhavgarh | 1968 | 448.842 |
| 2 | Dinosaur Fossils | 2011 | 0.897 | |
| 3 | Fossil | 1983 | 0.27 | |
| 4 | Pench | 1975 | 292.857 | |
| 5 | Kanha | 1955 | 941.793 | |
| 6 | Kuno | 2018 | 748.761 | |
| 7 | Madhav | 1959 | 375.23 | |
| 8 | Panna | 1981 | 542.66 | |
| 9 | Sanjay | 1981 | 464.643 | |
| 10 | Satpura | 1981 | 528.729 | |
| 11 | Van Vihar | 1979 | 4.452 | |
| Maharashtra | 1 | Chandoli | 2004 | 317.67 |
| 2 | Gugamal | 1975 | 361.28 | |
| 3 | Nawegaon | 1975 | 133.88 | |
| 4 | Pench (Jawaharlal Nehru) | 1975 | 257.26 | |
| 5 | Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) | 1983 | 86.96 | |
| 6 | Tadoba | 1955 | 116.55 | |
| Manipur | 1 | Keibul-Lamjao | 1977 | 40.00 |
| 2 | Shiroi | 1982 | 100.00 | |
| Meghalaya | 1 | Balphakram | 1986 | 220.00 |
| 2 | Nokrek Ridge | 1997 | 47.48 | |
| Mizoram | 1 | Murlen | 2003 | 100.00 |
| 2 | Phawngpui (Blue Mountain) | 1997 | 50.00 | |
| Nagaland | 1 | Intanki | 1993 | 202.02 |
| Odisha | 1 | Bhitarkanika | 1988 | 145.00 |
| 2 | Simlipal | 1980 | 845.70 | |
| Rajasthan | 1 | Desert | 1992 | 3162.00 |
| 2 | Keoladeo Ghana | 1981 | 28.73 | |
| 3 | Mukundra Hills | 2006 | 200.54 | |
| 4 | Ranthambhore | 1980 | 282.00 | |
| 5 | Sariska | 1992 | 273.80 | |
| Sikkim | 1 | Khangchendzonga | 1977 | 1784.00 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1 | Guindy | 1976 | 2.7057 |
| 2 | Gulf of Mannar Marine | 1980 | 526.02 | |
| 3 | Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) | 1989 | 117.10 | |
| 4 | Mudumalai | 1990 | 103.23 | |
| 5 | Mukurthi | 1990 | 78.46 | |
| Telangana | 1 | Kasu Brahmananda Reddy | 1994 | 1.425 |
| 2 | Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali | 1994 | 14.59 | |
| 3 | Mrugavani | 1994 | 3.60 | |
| Tripura | 1 | Clouded Leopard | 2007 | 5.08 |
| 2 | Bison (Rajbari) | 2007 | 31.63 | |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1 | Dudhwa | 1977 | 490.00 |
| Uttarakhand | 1 | Corbett | 1936 | 520.82 |
| 2 | Gangotri | 1989 | 2390.02 | |
| 3 | Govind | 1990 | 472.08 | |
| 4 | Nanda Devi | 1982 | 624.60 | |
| 5 | Rajaji | 1983 | 820.00 | |
| 6 | Valley of Flowers | 1982 | 87.50 | |
| West Bengal | 1 | Buxa | 1992 | 117.10 |
| 2 | Gorumara | 1992 | 79.45 | |
| 3 | Jaldapara | 2014 | 216.34 | |
| 4 | Neora Valley | 1986 | 159.8917 | |
| 5 | Singalila | 1986 | 78.60 | |
| 6 | Sunderban | 1984 | 1330.10 | |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 1 | Campbell Bay | 1992 | 426.23 |
| 2 | Galathea Bay | 1992 | 110.00 | |
| 3 | Mahatama Gandhi Marine (Wandoor) | 1983 | 281.50 | |
| 4 | Mount Harriett | 1987 | 46.62 | |
| 5 | Rani Jhansi Marine | 1996 | 320.06 | |
| 6 | Saddle Peak | 1987 | 32.54 | |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 1 | City Forest (Salim Ali) | 1992 | 9.07 |
| 2 | Dachigam | 1981 | 141.00 | |
| 3 | Kazinag | 2000 | 90.88 | |
| 4 | Kishtwar High Altitute | 1981 | 2191.50 | |
| Ladakh | 1 | Hemis | 1981 | 3350.00 |
Source: MoEFCC & State Forest Departments