Which one of the following Forest Acts divided forests of India into reserved, protected and village forests?

The correct answer is D, Forest Act 1878. The Indian Forest Act of 1878 created the three classes of reserved, protected and village forests. British interest in Indian forests grew as the railways and shipbuilding needed huge amounts of timber. The Imperial Forest Department was set up in 1864 with Dietrich Brandis as the first Inspector General of Forests, and the first Indian Forest Act followed in 1865. That Act was soon found too weak, so the 1878 Act replaced it, giving the state firm control over forest land and sharply cutting down villagers' customary rights, above all in reserved forests. Its successor, the Indian Forest Act, 1927, kept the same three classes and is still the main forest law. Option A is wrong because 1864 is the year the Forest Department was created, not a classification law. Option B is wrong because the 1865 Act only began state control and did not create the three classes. Option C is wrong because 1866 is not linked with this classification at all. Exam tip: 1864 department, 1865 first Act, 1878 three classes, 1927 Act still in use.