ABSTRACT
India’s vast ecological diversity, protected under an elaborate legislative framework, is facing a conservation crisis. Despite strong statutory mandates aimed at protecting forests and wildlife, enforcement at the ground level is often fragmented and inconsistent. Rajasthan, with its unique arid ecosystems and threatened biodiversity, presents a microcosm of these challenges. This paper critically examines India’s primary forest and wildlife protection laws, the Indian Forest Act, 1927; the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; the Forest Rights Act, 2006; and associated constitutional provisions, while exploring their implementation gaps. Using Rajasthan as a focal point, it interrogates institutional failings, conflicts between conservation and community rights, and systemic pressures such as poaching, encroachments, and infrastructural expansion. The analysis concludes with recommendations for harmonizing conservation laws with localized enforcement mechanisms and ecological realities.
Keywords: Forest Law, Wildlife Protection, Rajasthan, Conservation Enforcement, Forest Rights Act, Indian Forest Act, Biodiversity Law.
INTRODUCTION
India is globally recognized for its biological richness, being home to nearly 7–8% of recorded species despite accounting for only 2.4% of the world’s land area. Its forest ecosystems are vital not only for biodiversity but also for sustaining the livelihoods of around 275 million people who depend directly or indirectly on forest resources. Yet, the rapid pace of urbanization, land conversion for infrastructure and mining, and pressures from tourism and agriculture have deeply affected forest and wildlife habitats.[1]
Rajasthan, though largely arid and semi-arid, is a critical ecological zone. From the tiger habitats of Ranthambore and Sariska to the fragile desert grasslands of the Great Indian Bustard, the state houses some of India’s most threatened biomes. However, ground-level implementation of legal protections has often fallen short. Conservation laws clash with economic goals, and bureaucratic approaches frequently exclude local communities.
[1]The Indian Forest Act, No. 16, Acts of Parliament, 1927(India); see also Ghosh, Arunabha, India’s Forest Policy: Retrospect and Prospect, 12 Environmental Policy & Law 134 (1983).