Environmental Activism to Judicial Restraint: A Critical Analysis of Indian Judicial Process in the context of Forest Conservation

This research paper is an attempt to study the effect of judicial process on India's environmental jurisprudence, especially in the context of forest conservation. The purpose of this paper is to understand how Indian judiciary used to have an activist approach in the late 20th century, but in today's era, it has moved towards a balanced approach. This research paper presents the reality that the Indian judicial process often becomes limited, or constrained, due to the aggressive industrial development of the state. In the Raigad of Maharashtra, in the case of clearing the Mangrove Forest, an unexpected decision of the Supreme Court has come forward. The court has tried to create a balance between economic benefits and the protection of ecologically sensitive areas. Now, the big question arises: Can Forest destruction be compensated in any other way for economic benefits? This research paper will shed light on the judicial concepts and doctrines developed since independence, which guide the state to preserve wildlife and forests. Also, this paper will try to find out why the view of the court has shifted from an activist approach to an economic balancing approach. In the end, its aim is to find ways to reduce the loopholes from decision to implementation in the judicial process, so that forest conservation is effective in India.