Section 2 Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 requires PRIOR APPROVAL OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT for:

1. Section 2 Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 (FCA): notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, no State Government / authority shall make, except with prior approval of Central Government, any order directing — (i) any reserved forest to be de-reserved; (ii) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be used for any NON-FOREST PURPOSE; (iii) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be ASSIGNED BY WAY OF LEASE OR OTHERWISE to any private person or to any authority, corporation, agency or any other organisation not owned, managed or controlled by Government; (iv) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be cleared of trees which have grown naturally in that land or portion, for the purpose of using it for reafforestation. 2. Explanation: 'non-forest purpose' includes (i) cultivation of tea, coffee, spices, rubber, palms, oil-bearing plants, horticultural crops or medicinal plants; (ii) any purpose other than reafforestation. 3. T.N. Godavarman v. UoI (1997) interpreted 'forest' broadly. 4. Hence option B is correct. _Source: EPA 1986 / Constitution of India / Stockholm/Rio/Paris / Indian SC environmental jurisprudence — Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, Section 2_