Project Tiger was initiated in 1973 to protect tigers and their habitats in India. It established tiger reserves across various regions of India and helped increase the tiger population from 1,200 in the 1970s to 3,500 in the 1990s, though a 2008 census found the population had declined to 1,411. Project Tiger is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and aims to maintain viable tiger populations through habitat protection and management within designated reserves across India.