The correct option is 2 only
Explanation
Project Tiger is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched by the Government of India to ensure the maintenance of a viable population of tigers in their natural habitats. It recognizes the tiger as an apex predator and an umbrella species, meaning its conservation ensures the protection of the entire ecosystem.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: Project Tiger was launched on April 1, 1973, from the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. It is one of the most significant wildlife conservation projects in the world.
- Statement 2 is Correct: Tiger conservation was not viewed solely as an effort to save an endangered species. It was viewed with equal importance as a means of preserving biotypes of sizeable magnitude. By protecting the tiger, the project aims to preserve the biodiversity and the ecological balance of the habitat.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect: India and Nepal provide habitat to a significant majority of the world's surviving tiger population, not less than 10 %. India alone is home to approximately 70 to 75 % of the global wild tiger population.
Key Takeaway: Project Tiger (1973) aims to preserve entire ecosystems by protecting the tiger as an umbrella species; India hosts the majority (over 70%) of the global wild tiger population.