Section 1: Short title, extent and commencement

(1) This Act may be called the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

[(2) It extends to the whole of India ***.]

(3) It shall come into force in a State or Union territory to which it extends3*** on such date as the Central Government may, by notification, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act or for different States or Union territories.

Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 1

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