'Community rights must figure in the Forest Bill'
The raging controversy over the regressive draft Forest Bill has dumped the onus of defending it on minister of state for environment and forests …
Clean drive in Himachal
Proposed amendments to this pristine state's Forest Act-make a fresh draft blow envisaged over ecological developments
Legislating green inequity
The government's proposed revision of the Indian Forest Act does little for community participation and only serves to vest more powers with the …
Revising an antiquated legislation
The environment ministry is updating the Indian Forest Act, but getting all the states to agree to it may prove to be tricky.
The woods are lovely
The conservation of forests and Natural Ecosystems Bill, sponsored by the ministry of environment and forests, seeks to weed out an obsolete …
Odisha tribal department writes to collectors on FRA rejected claim review
The letter gives detailed instructions to district collectors about how to take up appeals and reviews of all rejected Individual Forest Right …
Dictionary-defined ‘forests’ will be out of forest laws?
Government proposes amendments to the Forest Conservation Act reasoning current laws not encouraging plantation, forest creation and mounting …
Colonial hangover persists
Forest Act Amendment Bill maintains the forest department as the supreme controlling agency
Proposed changes to Forest Conservation Act a larceny of village resources
Proposed amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, are a blunder arising out of ignorance towards constitutionally and legally-bound …
Indian Forest Act amendment: Govt ready with first draft
The draft, which has been prepared with focus on conservation and climate change, has been sent to states seeking comments
Rajasthan records maximum number of environmental crimes for two successive years
NCRB’s report shows that the state made maximum violations under The Wildlife Act, 1972
Duty on minor produce will violate forest rights: Experts
The first draft to amend Indian Forest Act proposes to impose duty on minor produce that several tribals depend on for livelihood
Inside ad hoc forests
Government failure, both at the Centre and the states, is hurting communities and forests alike
The amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927 will create new markets & jobs for poor communities
After amending Section 2(7) of Indian Forest Act, 1927, bamboo is no longer a tree. This enables the livelihoods of forest communities as well as …
Extensive amendment to forest law will dehumanise forests
The proposed amendment comes at a time when forest dwellers’ rights are being threatened even when there is FRA
People’s rights and status of forest in limbo for 53 years in Andhra Pradesh
The rights of the people were supposed to be settled under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act; but they were not, eventually
Chaos in reforms
The TSR Subramanian Committee report, meant to suggest environmental governance reforms, creates more confusion
Adivasis account for 13% of total convicts, 10% of total under-trials, shows data
This number did reduce by a small margin, compared to data from 2001, but the disproportionate percentage of Adivasis in prison is just the tip …
Bamboo liberation day
According to former environment minister Jairam Ramesh, minor forest produce is a ownership right vested by Parliament under Forest Rights Act
Chhattisgarh revokes: Forest dept no longer nodal agency for community rights
Chhattisgarh government reinstates the role of the forest department to coordinate claims that are to be filed by communities, …
Court Digest: Major environment hearings of the week (June 29-July 3, 2020)
Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal through the week
MEF and the law of the jungle
People's interest in forests is sacrosanct
Terms of estrangement
