Question

When the forest act was passed? explain features of
these acts.

Answer 1

In India the first forest act was passed in 1878 by Dietrich Brandis.

The Indian Forest Act of 1865 extended the British colonialism in India and claimed over forests in India. The 1865 act was a precursor to the forest act of 1878, which truncated the centuries - old traditional use by communities of their forests and secured the colonial governments and control over the forestry.

In other words, an act to amend the law relating to forests, the transit of forest produce, and the duty leviable on timber.

The Forest Act of 1878 divided forests into:

• Reserved forests

• Protected forests

• Village forests

Best forests were the reserved forests.

Villages are not allowed to take any resources from the forests for their personal use. They could only take resources from protected or village forests.

Hope it helps...