Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996

    Free grazing and fuel wood – while rights over timber and non-timber produce remained with the state government. Over the years, the unholy nexus between the forest contractors and representatives of the government, for the incentive of getting tribal votes, encouraged large scale felling of forests.
    Consequently, in 1980 by enacting the Forest Conservation Act, the Government of India took away the rights of state governments to convert forest land for non-forest use. The state government now had to seek permission from the Government of India for any development work within the forest area. Thus far the term "forest" was as defined in the Indian Forest Act 1927. In 1996, however, the Supreme Court enlarged the definition of forest to cover even those areas which were notified as village forests on revenue land.
 The forests cannot be conserved by forest employees alone and the real stakeholders – the forest dwellers – have to be involved in the conservation and preservation of forests, including wildlife. The forest should not be seen merely as a source of revenue for the state but as a source of livelihood for the forest dwellers. In fact, Forest Acts in any format must aim to empower the forest dwellers and make them primary conservators and protectors, rather than making bureaucracy lord of the jungles.
    It also needs to be pointed out that Tribal areas represent the last resources sumps on the planet earth, simply because Tribal knowledge systems ensure sustainable livelihoods, and tribal religion and outlook engenders the survival of all living beings, through holistic and ecological sound principals of belief.