The document summarizes the key national forest policies of India from 1855 to 1988 in 3 sentences: The earliest national forest policy of 1855 focused on restricting exploitation of forests and establishing the Forest Department, while later policies in 1894 and 1952 aimed to balance land use and fulfill revenue needs through sustainable forest management. The 1988 policy emphasized maintaining ecological balance, meeting energy demands, involving local communities, and protecting forests from diversion and industries.

1. SALIENT FEATURES OF
NATIONAL FOREST POLICIES
Dr. B. Sangeetha,
Asst. Professor, KITS.

2. Introduction
 Constitution of India -‘forestry’ appears
on the ‘concurrent list’
 300 BC -The Maurya kingdom –
Chandragupta
 Indian forestry -(i) Colonial and (ii) Post-
colonial

3. National Forest Policy
• -1855
• -1894
• -1952
• -1988

4. National Forest Policy 1855
 Lord Dalhousie issued –“Forest charter” in 1855 (his charter was intended
to restrict and regulate the unchecked exploitation of forests by private
individuals.)
 Potential long-term environmental, economic and climatic effects of
deforestation
 First - Indian Forest Act, 1865 - Imperial Forest Department
 Dietrich Brandis - Forest resource management
 The Indian Forest Act,1865 was declared the British Administration’s
monopoly over the forests of India.

5. National Forest Policy 1894
 Dr. Voelcker's recommendations given in a report on
'Improvement of Indian Agriculture', 1893.
 Main object of management of forests is public benefit
 Preservation of climatic and physical conditions of the country
 Supplying valuable timber for commercial purposes

6. National Forest Policy 1894
 Minor forests
 Pasture lands
 Permanent cultivation
 Fulfilment of the basic forest needs of the local people
 Maximum revenue

7. Minor forests
An important source of livelihoods
for tribal people are non-wood
forest products, generally termed
'Minor Forest Produce (MFP)'
means all non-timber forest
produce of plant origin and will
include bamboo, canes, fodder etc.,

8. Pasture lands
• Pasture lands in the narrow
sense are enclosed tracts of
farmland, grazed by
domesticated livestock, such
as horses, cattle, sheep, or
swine

9. Permanent cultivation
"Tree Crops – A Permanent
Agriculture" which stated that
crop-yielding trees could provide
useful substitutes for cereals in
animal feeding programs, as well as
conserve environmental health.

10. Fulfilment of the basic forest needs of the
local people
• Local people depend on forests resources
for various products such as fuel wood,
construction materials, medicine, and food.

11. Maximum revenue
• Maximum income for the tribal
peoples/ man who is depending the
forest and forest products.

12. Classification of forest area
Protected forest-improvement of
climatic condition
Commercial forest-supply of
timber woods
Pasture lands-cattle rearing
Minor forests-collection of fire
woods

13. Defects in national forest policy 1894
 Formulated by Britishers for the need of Britishers
 Mandated for public benefits as a sole issue and not considered the conservation issues
 Indicated conversion of forest land for agricultural purposes which resulted in massive
conversion of forest for agricultural uses.
 Not considering the demands of public and industry.
 Not taken into account of profession man power and the need of forest education
 Silent on systematic research on forestry programme for production as well as conservation
 Not considering the wildlife – Decreased due to human interaction
 Not considering the ecological and other water resources – loss of resources

14. National Forest Policy 1952
• The First Forest Policy of 1894 was revised in 1952.
• On the basis of six dominant needs of the country
 Balanced and complementary land-use
 Denudation in the catchment areas
 Establishing tree land for wherever possible
 Allow the supplies of grazing, small wood and fuel wood
 Checking soil erosion by soil conservation and water conservation.
 Fulfilment of revenue needs – sustainable supply of timber and forest produces

15. Functional classification of forest
 Protection forest - Physical, climatic
considerations
 National forest - Defense, and
communications, industry
 Village forest - Local requirements
 Tree lands - Public use

16. Salient features
• Establishing tree lands- public use ensuring increasing supplies of grazing, small
wood for agricultural implements, sustained supply of timber - defense,
communications and industry.
 Considering the problem of shifting cultivation
 Focused on forest research and training
 Importance to wildlife management
 Sustained yield of forest management

17. Defects of National Forest Policy
1952

18. Defects of National Forest Policy 1952
 Tree awareness among the people by publicity, by
celebrating the VanaMahotsav /Forest Festival
(annual Indian tree planting festival, occupying a
week in the month of July).
 Production Vs Conservation: Aimed more towards
production lead forestry programme leads to large
scale deforestation

19. • Mushrooming of industries:
Saw mills, pulp and paper
industry, plywood, Veneer,
particle board, match splits,
sport goods, agriculture
implements and construction
industry

20. • Government Vs Participatory
Management:
Considering the role of people in
managing the forests through a
participatory mode – major drawback

21. • Maintenance of ecological
balance:
Not considering the ecological
balance due to continuous
exploitation to meet domestic
and industrial needs.

22. • Rights and concessions: Not
Considering the rights and
concessions of the local
dwellers

23. • Forestry education: Dealt only with the service forestry
education and not considered the development of professional
forestry education

24. • Forest research: Not considered the research outside the forest
department. Not given any direction on agroforestry (landuse
systems to satisfy the demands of domestic and industry

25. National Forest Policy 1988
• To ensure environmental stability and maintenance of ecological balance, conserving the
natural heritage of the country by preserving the remaining natural forests.
• Salient features
 To meet the increasing energy demands of the population
 To obey the directive principles and duties given in the constitution
 Constitution amendments of 1976 and its stress on environment
 Naked growth of forest based industries in this era
 Need for the guideline on the wildlife conservation

26. Objectives of National Forest Policy (NPF) 1988
 Increasing substantially through afforestation and social forestry programmes
 Meeting the requirements of fuel-wood, and fodder, of the rural and tribal populations.
 Increasing the productivity of forests to meet essential national needs.
 Creating a people's movement with the involvement of women, for achieving these
objectives.
 Tribal development, symbiotic relationship between the tribal people and forests.
 Construction of dams and reservoirs, mining and industrial development compensatory by
afforestation.

27. Management strategy in NFP 1988
 Afforestation, Social forestry and farm forestry programmes were encouraged
 Rights and concessions of the local people are suitably addressed
 Diversion of forestry land for non-forestry purposes is discouraged
 Wildlife conservation is given more importance
 Shifting cultivation practices are discouraged
 Cultivation of perennial crops through horticulture and tree forming is encouraged
 Fire and grazing management is given special consideration
 Forest based industries are advised to get their raw materials from outside the forest
 Forest extension, research and personal management are emphasized
•