Trees and Forests always figured prominently during all periods (Ancient, Medieval and Modern) of the Indian History. Forestry remained a significant factor in the socio-economic, cultural and religious fields in the country. Owing to lesser population and larger extent of forests during the ‘Ancient’ and the ‘Medieval’ periods (till 18th century), the management of forests was left to nature and the interest of the then Rulers/Feudal Lords remained limited to hunting or recreational pursuits. The local inhabitants in and around the forests, however, could meet their needs for fuel, fodder and timber with prior permission of these Rulers/Feudal Lords. There was hardly any scientific & planned intervention to manage the forests.
In early 19th century, the British East India Company, having realized the criticality of the situation arising out of the uncontrolled extraction of the dwindling stocks of Teakwood, considered it necessary to evolve some mechanism to control & regulate the valuable forestry resources in areas under their control. Based on the principle of ‘Conservancy’, the post of ‘Conservator of Forests’ was created in 1806 AD and a Police Officer by the name of Watson was appointed to this post to control & regulate the forests (mostly Teak) of Malabar in Southern India. This arrangement was discontinued in the year 1823 because of the pressure from ‘Contractor’s Lobby’. This institution was revived in the year 1847 when the Commissioner of the then Bombay Presidency (Dr.Gibson) was appointed as Conservator of Forests to control & regulate the forests. It was replicated in the then Madras Presidency in the year 1856 and the Commissioner of (Dr.Cleghson) was appointed as Conservator of Forests for his commissionerate jurisdiction. These were only ad hoc measures which had limited effect.
The real foundations of scientific management & administration of Forestry in India were laid in the year 1864 when Dr.Dietrich Brandis, a renowned German Forester, was appointed as the Inspector General of Forests to aid and advise the then Colonial Government on all forestry matters. The Imperial Forest Service was created in 1867 to have properly trained professionals at the top level who could help not only in carrying out day to day management but who could also write the technical management plans (Working Plans) for the forests after carrying out detailed surveys. From 1867 to 1920 the recruitment to Imperial Forest Service was restricted to Britishers & Europeans only and no Indians were permitted to join this Service. It was only during the period 1921-1931 that the Indians were permitted to join the renamed Indian Forest Service, limiting their intake to 40% only. Unfortunately, the recruitment to this Service was stopped in 1932, on the pretext of economic depression. The present Indian Forest Service was revived by the Government of India in the year 1967.
Two lower level services (Provincial Forest Service and the Forest Rangers) were also created to complete the administrative hierarchy. The subordinate level recruitments were left completely to the discretion of the officers controlling various units. In early twentieth century only the system of proper recruitment to the subordinate levels was put in place. In this way the organizational structure which emerged in 1920 comprised the Inspector General of Forests at the Government of India level and the Chief Conservators, Conservators, Deputy Conservators, Assistant Conservators, Forest Rangers, Foresters and Forest Guards in the Provinces. Provincial autonomy was granted and Forestry subject was given under the control of respective provinces, leaving the Inspector General of Forests as in charge of the forests falling in the areas under the direct control of Government of India (termed as the Union Territories) with merely advisory role as far as the Provinces were concerned. This system continues to be the same today except that the post of Inspector General has been redesignated as Director General and in States new posts of Principal Chief Conservators & Additional Principal Chief Conservators have also been created to bring about uniformity amongst the three All India Services (IAS, IPS and IFS).
The survey, demarcation and the mapping of forests was undertaken in 1850 in a few selected areas and steadily covered almost all the major forests by 1914. Concurrently the task of preparing Working Plans for these forests was also completed. Owing to the diversity amongst them, each of the Provinces in India has its own specific history of forest management but the three stages are clearly discernible—the era of hunting reserves, the era of exploitation by East India Company and the era of scientific management aiming at sustainable yield & regeneration of forests. In 1884 Schilich, the then Inspector General of Forests, centralized the task of preparation of Working Plans under Government of India. During the period 1914-1947 the scientific forestry management received serious set back because of unbearable demand on the forestry resource on account of, primarily, the two World Wars. Even after independence, forestry did not get due priority in the governance agenda of most of the Provincial Governments with the result that scientific management could not cope with the insatiable demand of the increasing population.
The first Indian Forest Act was enacted in 1865 which was revised in 1878. This law enabled the local governments to frame rules to protect forests under their respective control. A comprehensive Indian Forest Act was enacted in 1927, consolidating all Laws relating to forests and forest produce. This very Act continues to be the major legal tool in the hands of the foresters today to control & regulate the forests. The most notable development in regard to development of legal mechanism occurred in 1980 when the Central Government enacted the Forest Conservation Act 1980, forbidding transfer of land for non-forestry purposes without prior approval of Government of India (currently Central Empowered Committee under the over all control of Supreme Court). The Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2005 grants recognition of forest rights & occupation in forest land of those forest dwellers who have been residing in such forests for at least three generations but their rights could not be recorded.
The outline of a policy for forest conservancy were laid down in the 1855 Memorandum of Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor General of India, which is termed as the Charter of Indian Forestry. The first Indian Forest Policy, however, was formally formulated in 1894. The main focus of this policy was on preservation & conservation, subject to fulfillment of revenue targets and the local demand of the agriculturists which had the primacy. A revised Forest Policy was formulated after independence in 1952, the main features of which were: having one third of the total geographical area of the country under forests (60% in hills and 20% in plains); promoting balanced and complementary land use; checking soil erosion and protecting catchments of major rivers; increasing supplies of grazing, small wood for agricultural implements and firewood; sustain supply of timber/other forest produce for defence, communication and industry and; maximization of revenue. A revised Forest Policy has been formulated in 1988 (currently applicable), the main features of which are: reiterated two points of 1952 policy i.e. the target of bringing one third of area under forestry and to check soil erosion/ protect catchments of major rivers; maintenance of environmental stability & ecological balance through preservation of forests; involvement of people in forestry, and; making economic considerations subservient to ecological considerations.
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