The Act resulting from prolonged struggle of the indigenous communities to assert their rights over the forests that they are totally dependent on. It is crucial tool to recognize the rights of tribal population and other forest dwellers in India, which also strives to empower and strengthen the local self governance, address livelihood security of the dependent population, address the issues of natural resource conservation and management. The Act aims to secure community rights over common property resources, resolve rights over disputed land, rights of settlement and conversion of all identified group of villages in the forests to revenue villages. It also acknowledges the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource for sustainable use, intellectual property and traditional knowledge related to biodiversity and cultural diversity, rights of displaced communities.

India enacted the Environmental (Protection) Act of 1986 (EPA) under Article 253 of the constitution to protect and improve human environment and to prevent hazards. In post Bhopal disaster scenario, the EPA was devised as an umbrella legislation to provide a framework for addressing the shortcomings of the previous environmental legislations in India. The Act aims to facilitate implementation of the resolutions of the UN Conference on Human environment, 1972. The scope of the act is rather broad, with the term ‘environment’ defined to include water, air, land and the inter relationships existing between these resources and other living beings.

The Biological Diversity Act 2002 (No.18 of 2003), enacted by the Indian parliament, is a significant umbrella legislation to conserve the biological diversity of the country and related knowledgebase and facilitate fair access to these. Being a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), India passed the Act that prevents bio-piracy, addresses access to genetic resources and associated knowledge of Indian origin by foreign multinational corporations, and ensure equitable sharing of benefits to the country and the indigenous people. It takes into account - developments in biotechnology and information technology, ongoing environmental degradation and consequent loss of biological diversity. The Central Government has also established a body called the National Biodiversity Authority, to ensure effective implementation of the act.