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RAS question

The Forest Conservation Act was enacted in:

Correct answer: (C) 1980.

The Forest (Conservation) Act was enacted in 1980.

  1. (A)

    1972

  2. (B)

    1976

  3. (C)

    1980

  4. (D)

    1986

Explanation

The Forest (Conservation) Act belongs to the 1980 slot, not to the better-known environment laws of 1972 or 1986. India Code lists it as The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, with Act Year 1980 and an enactment date of 27 December 1980. Its long title says it provides for the conservation of forests, and Section 2 is specifically about restricting dereservation of forests or the use of forest land for non-forest purposes. The Act was made to control diversion of forest land away from forest use. The later amendments, including the 1988 amendment and the Forest Conservation Amendment Act, 2023, do not change the original enactment year.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) 1972 points to the Wildlife Protection Act, whereas India Code identifies the forest-conservation law as the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
  • (B) 1976 is associated here with the 42nd Amendment, not with the enactment year of the Forest (Conservation) Act.
  • (D) 1986 refers to the Environment Protection Act, while the forest-land diversion statute in the question is recorded by India Code as a 1980 Act.

Concept

This tests environmental legislation chronology, a recurring RAS area because candidates must distinguish forest, wildlife and general environment laws by year and purpose. It also checks whether you connect the Act with control over forest-land diversion rather than with broader pollution or wildlife frameworks.

Source

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