Joint forest management concept was introduced in India during
A) 1960s
B) 1970s
C) 1980s
D) 1990s

Hint: Joint forest management is the concept of establishing partnership between state forest department and local communities. The scheme varies from state to state.

Complete Answer:
- To solve this question, we must know about the Joint forest management concept and why it was started.
- Joint forest management is also known as JFM. It is an agreement established between the village committee known as the Forest Protection Committee and forest department.
- The agreement made is as follows- the villagers agree to help in safeguarding the forest resources from fire, grazing and illegal harvesting. In exchange, they receive non-timber products and some revenue share from the sale of timber produce. It originated in west Bengal in the 1980s.
- The initial program involved 612 families managing around 13 sq km of degraded forest. Around 25% of the profit was shared with the villagers. After initiation it was employed in other states to check soil erosion. Odisha was the first state to pass this resolution.
- After the implementation, the scheme was adopted by nearly all the states and around 1.5 crore families are getting benefited by the same.
JFM involves regeneration and conservation of forest through involvement of local bodies as a result of which both the government and the local communities are benefitted.

Thus the correct answer is (C) JFM originated in the 1980s.

Note: JFM involves a contract mentioning the distribution of authority and benefits between villages and state forest departments. The result of this agreement is forest resource conservation.