An Act to provide for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants and for matters connected therewith. It contains 7 chapters, 6 Schedule and 66 Sections. It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
It shall come into force in a State or Union Territory to which it extends, on such date as the Central Government may, by notification, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act or for different States or Union territories. The major activities and provisions in the Act can be summed up as follows:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
1. It provides for the appointment of wildlife advisory board.
2. Protection of some endangered species.
Image Source: i.huffpost.com
3. The Chief Wildlife Warden may permit any person to hunt such animal, if any wild animal has become dangerous to human life or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery in writing and stating the reasons and any wild animal killed or wounded in defense of any person shall be Government property.
4. Chief Wildlife Warden may grant a permit to any person in writing stating the reasons on payment of such fee that is prescribed for the purpose, of education, scientific research, scientific Management, collection of specimens, collection or preparation of snake-venom for the manufacture of life-saving drugs.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
5. No person shall willfully pick, uproot, damage, destroy, acquire or collect any specified plant from any forest land and any area specified or notification by the Central Government.
6. No person shall cultivate a specified plant except under and in accordance with a license granted by the Chief Wildlife Warden or any other officer authorised by the State Government in this behalf.
7. Every licence granted under this section shall specify the area in which and the conditions, if any, subject to which the licensee shall cultivate a specified plant.
8. The Act provides the declaration of sanctuary and National Parks under section 38.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
9. There is restriction on entry in sanctuary, The Chief Wild Life Warden may, on application, grant to any person a permit to enter or reside in a sanctuary for all or any of the following purposes, namely investigation or study of wildlife, photography, scientific research, tourism and transaction of lawful business with any person residing in the sanctuary.
10. It provides for legal powers to officers and punishment to offenders. Any person who contravenes any provision of this Act or any rule or order made who commits a breach of any of the conditions of any license or permit granted under this Act, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act, and shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to seven years and also with fine which shall not be less than five thousand.
11. This Act gives the power of Central Government and State Government to make rules.