National Parks in India: India is a country that is rich in biodiversity. We have a diverse range of flora and fauna. It comprises about 6.2% reptiles, 7.6% mammals, 6.0% flowering plants, and 12.6% bird species under the Indohimalayan ecozone. The forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest, the Western Ghats, and Northeast India to the coniferous forests in the Himalayan region.
National Parks in India
A national park is an area that is strictly reserved with the aim of improving wildlife and biodiversity. Activities like developmental, forestry, poaching, hunting, and grazing on cultivation are strictly prohibited in National Parks and are considered punishable crimes. The government of India can declare an area as a national park that has adequate ecological, geomorphological, and natural significance. Indian wildlife has over 100 world-recognized national parks. All these national parks have been recognized by the IUCN or the International Union for the Conservation of Nature under the second category of protected areas.
There is at least one national park in each state that displays the vivid flora and fauna of the region. We are providing you the list of important National Parks, it is an integral part of Static GK that might appear in any of the upcoming examinations.
How many National Parks are in India?
There is a total of 106 national parks in India covering an area of 44,378 KM2, which is 1.35% of the geographical area of the country, according to the survey in December 2020. There are 75 other National Parks covering an area of 16,608 km2 proposed in the Protected Area Network Report. The network of parks will go up by 176 after the full implementation.
Largest National Parks in India
Here is the list of the top 10 largest national parks in India in descending order starting from the largest one. Candidates can refer to the area of the national parks as shown below.
- Hemis National Park [Area (km Square): 4,400.0]
- Desert National Park [Area (km Square): 3,162.0]
- Gangotri National Park [Area (km Square): 2,390.0]
- Namdapha National Park [Area (km Square): 1,985.2]
- Khangchendzonga National Park [Area (km Square): 1,784.0]
- Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) National Park [ Area (km Square): 1,440.7]
- Gir Forest National Park [Area (km Square): 1,412.0]
- Sundarbans National Park [Area (km Square): 1,330.1]
- Jim Corbett National Park [Area (km Square): 1,318.5]
- Indravati National Park [Area (km Square): 1,258.4]
National Parks in India – State Wise List
National Parks in India are Category II protected areas. The first national park in India was established in 1936, now known as Jim Corbett national park, Uttarakhand. The below table will provide a list of national parks in India with their year of establishment and the state to which they belong. Here is the complete state-wise list of National Parks in India.
| State/Union Territory | Total Parks | National Parks Name | Establishment Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 9 | Campbell Bay National Park | 1992 |
| Galathea Bay National Park | 1992 | ||
| Mahatama Gandhi Marine (Wandoor) National Park | 1982 | ||
| Middle Button Island National Park | 1987 | ||
| Mount Harriett National Park | 1987 | ||
| North Button Island National Park | 1987 | ||
| Rani Jhansi Marine National Park | 1996 | ||
| Saddle Peak National Park | 1987 | ||
| South Button Island National Park | 1987 | ||
| Andhra Pradesh | 3 | Papikonda National Park | 2008 |
| Rajiv Gandhi (Rameswaram) National Park | 2005 | ||
| Sri Venkateswara National Park | 1989 | ||
| Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | Mouling National Park | 1986 |
| Namdapha National Park | 1983 | ||
| Assam | 5 | Dibru-Saikhowa National Park | 1999 |
| Kaziranga National Park | 1974 | ||
| Manas National Park | 1990 | ||
| Nameri National Park | 1998 | ||
| Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park | 1999 | ||
| Bihar | 1 | Valmiki National Park | 1989 |
| Chhattisgarh | 3 | Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) National Park | 1981 |
| Indravati (Kutru) National Park | 1982 | ||
| Kanger Valley National Park | 1982 | ||
| Goa | 1 | Mollem National Park | 1992 |
| Gujarat | 4 | Vansda National Park | 1979 |
| Blackbuck (Velavadar) National Park | 1976 | ||
| Gir National Park | 1975 | ||
| Marine (Gulf of Kachchh) National Park | 1982 | ||
| Haryana | 2 | Kalesar National Park | 2003 |
| SultaNational Parkur National Park | 1989 | ||
| Himachal Pradesh | 5 | Great Himalayan National Park | 1984 |
| Inderkilla National Park | 2010 | ||
| Khirganga National Park | 2010 | ||
| Pin Valley National Park | 1987 | ||
| Simbalbara National Park | 2010 | ||
| Jammu and Kashmir | 4 | City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park | 1992 |
| Dachigam National Park | 1981 | ||
| Kishtwar National Park | 1981 | ||
| Jharkhand | 1 | Betla National Park | 1986 |
| Karnataka | 5 | Anshi National Park | 1987 |
| Bandipur National Park | 1974 | ||
| Bannerghatta National Park | 1974 | ||
| Kudremukh National Park | 1987 | ||
| Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park | 1988 | ||
| Kerala | 6 | Anamudi Shola National Park | 2003 |
| Eravikulam National Park | 1978 | ||
| Mathikettan Shola National Park | 2003 | ||
| Pambadum Shola National Park | 2003 | ||
| Periyar National Park | 1982 | ||
| Silent Valley National Park | 1984 | ||
| Madhya Pradesh | 9 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 1968 |
| Fossil National Park | 1983 | ||
| Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park | 1975 | ||
| Kanha National Park | 1955 | ||
| Madhav National Park | 1959 | ||
| Panna National Park | 1981 | ||
| Sanjay National Park | 1981 | ||
| Satpura National Park | 1981 | ||
| Van Vihar National Park | 1979 | ||
| Maharashtra | 6 | Chandoli National Park | 2004 |
| Gugamal National Park | 1975 | ||
| Nawegaon National Park | 1975 | ||
| Pench (Jawaharlal Nehru) National Park | 1975 | ||
| Sanjay Gandhi (Borivali) National Park | 1983 | ||
| Tadoba National Park | 1955 | ||
| Manipur | 1 | Keibul-Lamjao National Park | 1977 |
| Meghalaya | 2 | Balphakram National Park | 1985 |
| Nokrek Ridge National Park | 1986 | ||
| Mizoram | 2 | Mullen National Park | 1991 |
| Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park | 1992 | ||
| Nagaland | 1 | Intanki National Park | 1993 |
| Odisha | 2 | Bhitarkanika National Park | 1988 |
| Simlipal National Park | 1980 | ||
| Rajasthan | 5 | Mukundra Hills National Park | 2006 |
| Desert National Park | 1992 | ||
| Keoladeo Ghana National Park | 1981 | ||
| Ranthambhore National Park | 1980 | ||
| Sariska National Park | 1992 | ||
| Sikkim | 1 | Khangchendzonga National Park | 1977 |
| Tamil Nadu | 5 | Guindy National Park | 1976 |
| Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park | 1980 | ||
| Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) National Park | 1989 | ||
| Mudumalai National Park | 1990 | ||
| Mukurthi National Park | 1990 | ||
| Ladakh | 1 | Hemis National Park | 1981 |
| Telangana | 3 | Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park | 1994 |
| Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali National Park | 1994 | ||
| Mrugavani National Park | 1994 | ||
| Tripura | 2 | Clouded Leopard National Park | 2007 |
| Bison (Rajbari) National Park | 2007 | ||
| Uttar Pradesh | 1 | Dudhwa National Park | 1977 |
| Uttarakhand | 6 | Corbett National Park | 1936 |
| Gangotri National Park | 1989 | ||
| Govind National Park | 1990 | ||
| Nanda Devi National Park | 1982 | ||
| Rajaji National Park | 1983 | ||
| Valley of Flowers National Park | 1982 | ||
| West Bengal | 6 | Buxa National Park | 1992 |
| Gorumara National Park | 1992 | ||
| Jaldapara National Park | 2014 | ||
| Neora Valley National Park | 1986 | ||
| Singalila National Park | 1986 | ||
| Sunderban National Park | 1984 |
National Parks in India – Important Points
- The National Parks, Wildlife sanctuaries, Reserve forests, Conservation reserves, Marine reserves, Community reserves, and Biosphere reserves come under the Protected areas of India.
- India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. The country is bestowed with a plethora of flora and fauna.
- National parks are protected areas under IUCN category II. India’s first National Park was established in 1936 at Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park.
- India only had five national parks till 1970. In 1972, India legislated the Wildlife Protection Act.
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