Transforming Institutions and Question of Forest Conservation: A Historical Documentation of Forest Policies in India

Abstract

"The present paper is an attempt to document the changes in forest policies in India in general and Kerala (One of the States in India) in particular in the context of institutional changes and forest conservation. The history of forest legislation in India begins with a memorandum issued by the British in 1855 which was later replaced by Forest Act 1865. During colonial rule in India, the forest policy gave much importance to exploitation of forest resources without concerning conservation. The ownership was assumed by the colonial powers and this period records a march towards centralization and the forests came under the control of the state. Between 1800 and 1947 India witnessed rigorous policy interventions in forest management and there was much debate within the colonial bureaucracy on the subject of forest versus people."