Forest Conservation Act 1980 Questions and Answers

Answer: A

The main purpose was to stop the transfer of forest land for non-forest purposes without the permission of the Government of India.

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 was passed to check the rapid loss of forests. Section 2 requires the prior approval of the Central Government before a state can de-reserve a forest, use forest land for any non-forest purpose, lease it to a private body, or clear naturally grown trees for reafforestation.

The Act restricts, rather than promotes, plantations of tea, coffee and rubber in forest areas. It does not divert agricultural land to forestry, and afforestation programmes are carried out under other schemes, not as the Act's main purpose.

Answer: B

The distance is 100 kilometres.

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 exempts forest land within 100 km of international borders, the Line of Control or the Line of Actual Control, when it is to be used for strategic linear projects of national importance and concerning national security, so that such projects do not need prior forest clearance.

115, 120 and 125 km are not the distance in the Act.