The Indian National Forest Policy, first enacted in 1988 and subsequently amended in 1994, serves as the guiding document for the management and conservation of forests in India. The policy aims to ensure the ecological security of the country by promoting the sustainable use of forests and their resources.
One of the key objectives of the policy is to protect and conserve forests and wildlife, both for their intrinsic value and for the ecological services they provide. This includes protecting natural forests, afforestation and reforestation, and the conservation of threatened species. The policy also recognizes the importance of forests for the livelihoods of local communities, and seeks to involve them in the management and conservation of forests through the establishment of joint forest management committees.
The policy also emphasizes the need to balance economic development with the conservation of forests. This includes the sustainable extraction of forest products, such as timber, non-timber forest products, and medicinal plants, as well as the promotion of eco-tourism. The policy also seeks to reduce the demand for wood by encouraging the use of alternative materials and energy sources.
One of the major challenges in implementing the Indian National Forest Policy is the pressure on forests from various developmental activities, such as infrastructure development, mining, and agriculture. The policy seeks to address this challenge through the implementation of measures such as the diversion of forestland for non-forest purposes, which requires the prior approval of the central government and the payment of compensation for any loss of forest cover.
Overall, the Indian National Forest Policy serves as a framework for the sustainable management and conservation of forests in India, balancing the needs of economic development with the protection of these vital ecosystems. Its success in achieving these goals will depend on the effective implementation of the policy at the local level and the commitment of all stakeholders to its principles.
National Forest Policy, 1988: An overview of how Indian forestry became conservation
The basic objectives that should govern the National Forest Policy were enlisted as follows:- i Maintenance of environmental stability through preservation and, where necessary, restoration of the ecological balance that has been adversely disturbed by serious depletion of the forests of the country. Dugong, false killer whale and dolphin are prominent marine mammals. Therefore, it highlights that to relieve pressure on forest resources for railway sleepers, construction industry particularly in the public-sector , furniture and panelling, mine-pit props, paper and paper board etc. Several experts are calling for a revision of the policy, and we may have a new version of the Forest Policy soon. Its aims are: 1. While the discretion of State Governments to regulate the details of forest administration in their respective territories is left unfettered, the general principles of the above forest policy should, in paramount national interests, be observed by them in framing their policies and legislation for the conservation of their forest resources. Several new clauses were added also added to how forest-based industries industries that use depend on forests for raw materials function.
Indian agroforestry policy
Check out other Important Notes of the Environment for UPSC CSE exams here. Hence, their policies were aimed at putting themselves in an advantageous position and to exploit the resources to the extent possible. Hence it was considered imperative, even during the British Rule, that India must have a Forest Policy. The policy singles out mining and quarrying activities. There is a need for an amendment of forest policy. The wildlife management in India aims at i protection of natural habitats through a controlled and limited exploitation of species; ii maintenance of the viable number of species in protected areas national park, sanctuary, biosphere reserve, etc. Endangered species are those considered in imminent danger of extinction, while threatened species are those that are likely to become endangered—at least locally—within the foreseeable future.
National Forest Policy, 1952: An overview of Independent India’s first approach to forest management
And later in November 2019, it was withdraw by the government. . It was, therefore, imperative to review and revise the National Forest Policy of 1952, with a view to evolve a new strategy for forest protection in the future. Read about The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 for your UPSC Civil Services Exam. Also, the rights and concessions enjoy by tribal should be fully protect. Possibilities of regulating shifting cultivation by combining it with forests regeneration Taungya to the benefit of both should be fully explored.
The National Forest Policy 1988
Hunting should be strictly controlled. There is also the tiger of Sunderbans. According to this, the nation-state was recognized as the sole proprietor of classified forest lands. Provision of sufficient fodder, fuel and pasture, specially in areas adjoining forest, is necessary in order to prevent depletion of forests beyond the sustainable limit. The Act was amended in 1988 to further facilitate prevention of forest destruction. According to the reports, the total forest cover of the country is 712,249 Sq. With the introduction of the Forest Policy of 1988, the tree cover and the forest area have increased from 20% to 25% of the geographical area and thus, the policy is moderately helping India achieve its environmental stability and balance its ecology.
