LANDMARK CASE

T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India

(1997) 2 SCC 267 · Supreme Court of India · Environmental law

At a glance

Citation: (1997) 2 SCC 267
Court: Supreme Court of India
Area of law: Environmental law
In one line: 'Forest' was read in its dictionary sense, regardless of ownership, and non forest activity needs central approval.

1 Facts

A petition sought protection of forests in the Nilgiris and across India.

2 Issue

What does 'forest' mean under the Forest (Conservation) Act?

3 What the court decided

'Forest' was read in its dictionary sense, regardless of ownership, and non forest activity needs central approval.

4 Why it matters

It began the long running forest bench litigation.

5 Think about it

Why did a wide definition matter?

6 Analyse it yourself

Read the full judgment from an official source or a law database, then brief it in seven steps: facts, issues, arguments, decision, ratio, obiter and significance. Always check the citation before you rely on it.

7 More cases on Environmental law

A.P. Pollution Control Board v. Prof. M.V. Nayudu (1999) 2 SCC 718
Arjun Gopal v. Union of India (2017) 1 SCC 412
Centre for Environmental Law, WWF India v. Union of India (Asiatic Lion) (2013) 8 SCC 234
Hinch Lal Tiwari v. Kamala Devi (2001) 6 SCC 496
Indian Council for Enviro Legal Action v. Union of India (1996) 3 SCC 212
Lafarge Umiam Mining v. Union of India (2011) 7 SCC 338

All 366 landmark cases · Today's Case of the Day · Weekly quiz

← T.M.A. Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka Tahsildar Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh →

A short teaching summary for students. Educational content only, not legal advice.