Union Environment Minister Inaugurates Inception Workshop for 6th Cycle of Tiger Reserve Management Effectiveness Evaluation; MEE-TR 2026 Technical Manual Released

Key facts

• Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the Inception Workshop for the 6th Cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves (MEE-TR) in New Delhi on September 25, 2026, organised by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
• The 6th Cycle of MEE-TR will cover all 58 Tiger Reserves in India.
• The Technical Manual of MEE 2026 was released during the inaugural session, providing the framework for the sixth-cycle evaluation.
• MEE was initiated in India in 2006, with five completed cycles in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 covering 28, 39, 43, 50 and 51 Tiger Reserves respectively.
• India's MEE framework is adapted from the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Framework, assessing six elements: Context, Planning, Inputs, Processes, Outputs and Outcomes.
• A new feature of MEE-TR 2026 is 'Solid Waste Management' introduced as a separate evaluation criterion, covering waste at forest chowkis, tourism waste and biomedical waste at wildlife rescue centres.
• India has demarcated over 85,000 sq km for tiger conservation, as stated by the Minister at the workshop.