New Delhi, Nov. 18 -- In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Monday directed state governments to notify eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) around all tiger reserves, including buffer and fringe areas, not less than one kilometre from their outer boundaries, and formulate a policy to declare the entire tiger reserve as silence zone while prohibiting use of mobile phones or night tourism in the core or critical tiger habitat. The court's comprehensive pan-India guidelines, aimed at conservation of tigers and regulation of protected areas, placed strict timelines on states, directing them to notify the buffer and core areas of tiger reserves within six months, come out with a tiger conservation plan (TCP) also within six months, and prescribe ESZ within one year. "We direct the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) as well as the various state governments to take necessary steps by notifying rules and/or by issuing memorandums or circulars for implementing the directions and recommendations issued hereinabove within a period of six months from the date of this judgment," a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai said. To bolster the defence of forests and wildlife in protected zones, the court issued a slew of directions in regards with the employment, service conditions and other benefits for forest staffers, who are the persons on the frontline. In a first, the bench directed the Centre to create separate policies on funding of tiger reserves, and staffing and cadre requirements. It also prohibited outsourcing of forest staff and directed that in no circumstance, the post of field director - in charge of the reserve - be kept vacant. The guidelines were based on recommendations made by an expert committee constituted by the MoEFCC on the court's order in March 2024 to examine the ecological violations, quantify damage, recommend restoration measures, and identify officers responsible for the destruction inside the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand. The bench, also comprising justices Augustine George Masih and AS Chandurkar, also proposed a host of innovative measures to boost the morale of forest staff by allowing medals to be displayed on their uniform for commendable work similar to any uniformed service, and an ex-gratia amount in case of an unfortunate death in the line of duty on par with paramilitary forces. On tiger safari, the court reiterated that its March 6, 2024 judgment shall hold the field that required tiger safari to be established on "non-forest land" or "degraded forest land" in buffer area provided that it is not part of a tiger corridor. While sanctuaries and national parks have ESZ as per a 2011 central notification, the court observed that in 2018, the MoEFCC wrote to all the chief wildlife wardens (CWW) for submitting proposals for notifying ESZ of tiger reserves, which at the minimum must include the buffer and fringe areas....