Sacred grove Ritual stones at the Mawphlang sacred grove in Meghalaya, India. (more) forest societies in India Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/forest-societies-in-India Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Arpit Nayak Arpit Nayak is an associate editor at Encyclopedia Britannica. Arpit Nayak Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Mar 13, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How many people in India depend on forests for their livelihoods? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "About 300 million people in India depend on forests for their livelihoods." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What are sacred groves, and how are they protected? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Sacred groves are small forested areas often dedicated to local deities or spirits and protected by local communities. The felling of trees is prohibited, and even picking up leaves or twigs is sometimes taboo." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What impact did colonial rule have on forest communities in India? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Colonial rule restricted forest communitiesu2019 access to forests and related products, culminating in the Indian Forest Act of 1927, which strengthened government control over forests and jeopardized traditional rights and livelihoods." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What changes did the National Forest Policy of 1988 introduce? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The National Forest Policy of 1988 emphasized forest conservation and the rights of forest societies to collect fuel wood, fodder, and minor forest produce, which laid the groundwork for the Joint Forest Management program." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What challenges do tribal communities face regarding their forest-reliant lifestyles? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Tribal communities face challenges such as bottlenecks in implementing policies, control by forest departments, and limited financial security due to state control over commercial forest products." } } ] } Top Questions How many people in India depend on forests for their livelihoods? About 300 million people in India depend on forests for their livelihoods.

　　What are sacred groves, and how are they protected? Sacred groves are small forested areas often dedicated to local deities or spirits and protected by local communities. The felling of trees is prohibited, and even picking up leaves or twigs is sometimes taboo.

　　What impact did colonial rule have on forest communities in India? Colonial rule restricted forest communities’ access to forests and related products, culminating in the Indian Forest Act of 1927, which strengthened government control over forests and jeopardized traditional rights and livelihoods.

　　What changes did the National Forest Policy of 1988 introduce? The National Forest Policy of 1988 emphasized forest conservation and the rights of forest societies to collect fuel wood, fodder, and minor forest produce, which laid the groundwork for the Joint Forest Management program.

　　What challenges do tribal communities face regarding their forest-reliant lifestyles? Tribal communities face challenges such as bottlenecks in implementing policies, control by forest departments, and limited financial security due to state control over commercial forest products.

　　forest societies in India, groups of people in the country who live in or near forests and rely at least partly on them for such resources as food, fuel, and commercial forest products, such as timber. As of 2019 about 300 million people in India—more than a fifth of its population—depended on its forests for their livelihoods. These people include a large number of tribal communities, which are among the poorest groups in the country. For these tribes, forests are not only sources of sustenance; they are often imbued with social and spiritual significance as well. Several forest societies and ...(100 of 1736 words)

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