Indian Forest Act 1927: Executing Green India needs restructuring of forest laws and bureaucracy.

Civil Services Main Examination

General Studies (Paper - 2) : Model Question & Answers


Indian ForestQuestion: “Executing Green India needs restructuring of forest laws and bureaucracy. Idea of conservation shall replace consumption in development.” Discuss the above statement in the light of displacement of tribal people.

Answer: Indian Forest Act 1927 has made the Government the sole owner of the forest property and increased the distance between forest dwellers and government. Wildlife Protection Act, Project Tiger, Project Elephant and other environmental laws continued in the same line. Forest Rights Act changed this situation by identifying land, management rights and rights over the minor forest produce. But, the implementation of law has totally ignored the community rights of tribals over minor forest produce. Growing incidences of left wing extremism in tribal belts reflects the discontent growing over the state.

On the other hand, Forest Department is the only Government department in the country and is custodian of public property for the welfare of the people. It is bestowed with the responsibility of detecting any illegal activity inside the forest on its own, investigate the case and also assist in the prosecution. That is, Forest Department is the only department having a dual role, namely protection and development.

So, forest management in India is a double edged sword with dissatisfaction to both the inhabitants and regulators. In this context, increasing the community participation, resource sharing, proper rehabilitation policy for displaced are the critical needs of the hour. Objectives of green India shall protect the green ecosystem in the country rather than aiming for creation of managed forests through fragmented ecosystems in the country.

data-matched-content-ui-type="image_card_stacked"