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Monday, April 6, 2026
TopicIndian forests

Topic: Indian forests

SC allows Assam govt to clear ‘encroachments’ on forest cover for ecological balance—with ‘due process’

Himanta govt said about 20% of state's forest area has been encroached upon. SC stressed importance of constitutional safeguards, saying exercise must be carried out through lawful means.

What Mughal and British rule did to India’s forests

In 'An Officer and a Tiger', Yogesh Chandra offers a sensory portrait of the Terai jungles in their full, untamed splendour.

‘Broad definition of forests & imprecise data’. Why govt forest cover report might be too optimistic

The latest State of Forests Report highlighted that India's total forest and tree cover accounted for 25.17% of the country’s total geographical area—an increase of 3.41% since 2021.

India losing its status as a conservation leader. Our laws aren’t stopping march to decline

Environmental concerns are often neglected, if not entirely absent, from the national agenda. They’re rarely a talking point in election campaigns, says conservationist Prerna Singh Bindra.

What are green credits & why are former civil servants objecting to them

A group of 91 retired officers who served in govt has written to environment ministry urging it to withdraw a notification outlining green credit rules, calling them 'unscientific'.

What interim SC order on Modi govt’s forest conservation law means for environmental protection

Court order comes in response to petition challenging Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023. SC asks states, UTs to revert to 'dictionary definition' of forests while preparing records.

Indian govt still doesn’t know what a ‘forest’ is. FCA amendment takes us back to British era

We don’t know how much of India’s real forests are officially documented. Now, we may never get to know it all—with the amendment, these forests can be chopped down without permit.

India experimented with tree plantation for 200 yrs. Foresters must learn from past mistakes

The success of forest restoration efforts cannot be measured by tree cover alone. Some of the best practices of communities such as Gadchiroli should be studied and scaled up.

Will Modi govt’s new bill dilute existing protections for forests? All about proposed law

Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha Wednesday. It aims to ‘remove ambiguities’ surrounding the applicability of the 1980 law.

Govt wants to drill for oil, gas in forest areas, but Wildlife Institute of India wary of new tech

Months after giving ‘in-principle approval’ for oil/gas drilling, govt’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has asked for further studies after Wildlife Institute’s recommendations.

On Camera

US pilot rescue in Iran must be seen more than war cost. Nation protects its warriors

A live American pilot paraded on Iranian state television would have been an intelligence windfall and a propaganda coup of historic proportions.

What to expect from China’s new 5-year plan—trade innovation, tensions with partners

ASEAN is struggling against a flood of 'underpriced Chinese goods', while Brazil has imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese steel.

UAE walks away from financing Rafale F5 due to restricted access to technology, reports French media

French newspaper La Tribune earlier last week indicated that UAE withdrew from deal to fund EUR 3.5 billion. India is looking to order 114 new Rafales, which could include the F5.

China insulated itself against energy shocks. India is ‘all talk, no walk’

China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.