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The Supreme Court of India has clarified the scope of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 in its…

The Forest (Conservation) Act applies to renewal of mining leases in forest areas even when the original leases predated the Act. The Supreme Court also explained that…

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The Supreme Court of India has clarified the scope of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 in its judgments. Consider the following statements:

I. The Act applies even to the renewal of mining leases in forest areas that were originally granted before the Act came into force.

II. The dictionary meaning of the word forest is irrelevant; only areas notified as forests under State Forest Acts are covered.

III. The Act took away the State Governments’ power to suo motu permit use of forest land for non-forest purposes.

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Correct answer B

The Forest (Conservation) Act applies to renewal of mining leases in forest areas even when the original leases predated the Act. The Supreme Court also explained that States could not permit non-forest use unilaterally without the required Central approval. Godavarman gave forest a broader meaning that includes its dictionary sense and land recorded as forest, so the assertion limiting coverage to notified forests is incorrect.

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