Notification by State Government
Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 deals with notification by State Government. Whenever it has been decided to constitute any land a reserved forest, the [State Government] shall issue a notification in the [Official Gazette]-- (a) declaring that it has been decided to constitute such land a reserved forest; The Act came into force on 21 Sep 1927.
(1) Whenever it has been decided to constitute any land a reserved forest, the 1[State Government] shall issue a notification in the 2[Official Gazette]--
(a) declaring that it has been decided to constitute such land a reserved forest;
(b) specifying, as nearly as possible, the situation and limits of such land; and
(c) appointing an officer (hereinafter called "the Forest Settlement-officer") to inquire into and determine the existence, nature and extent of any rights alleged to exist in favour of any person in or over any land comprised within such limits, or in or over any forest-produce, and to deal with the same as provided in this Chapter.
Explanation.--For the purpose of clause (b), it shall be sufficient to describe the limits of the forest by roads, rivers, ridges or other well-known or readily intelligible boundaries.
(2) The officer appointed under clause (c) of sub-section (1) shall ordinarily be a person not holding any forest-office except that of Forest Settlement-officer.
(3) Nothing in this section shall prevent the 3[State Government] from appointing any number of officers not exceeding three, not more than one of whom shall be a person holding any forest-office except as aforesaid, to perform the duties of a Forest Settlement-officer under this Act.
Section 4, The Indian Forest Act, 1927 (Act 16 of 1927).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Divisional Forest Officer Kaimer For. Div vs Hari Shankar Singh
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When a final notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 declaring land as a Reserved Forest is duly published, and a person claiming rights in such land fails to respond to the preceding notifications under Sections 4 and 6, all such claimed rights are automatically extinguished by operation of law. Consequently, the deletion of such person's name from revenue records, being a natural consequence of statutory extinguishment of rights, does not require prior notice or hearing, as the right itself ceases to exist by law, not by administrative action. The consolidation authorities are bound by such a notification as if it were a decree of a Civil Court.
On this section: Initial notification for constitution of Reserved Forest; failure to respond to this notification was considered in determining extinguishment of rights
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Balgovind Ji Maharaj vs Collector, Maharajganj
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Once a notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 declaring land as reserved forest attains finality (by not being assailed within the prescribed time or through valid legal proceedings), the claimant loses all surviving rights, title, or interest in such land, and cannot subsequently invoke the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to recover or challenge such rights. Finality of forest notifications is irreversible and does not permit collateral challenge after the passage of time.
On this section: The notification issued under Section 4 on 16.3.1954 initiates the forest declaration process. The court held that once upheld by the Governor, this notification attained finality and the appellant had no right to challenge it decades later.
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Maria Berta D. D. Fernandes(dead) vs Chief Secy. , Govt. of Goa
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
The Court held that objections and claims to land proposed for reservation must be filed before the Forest Settlement Officer within the period allowed after the notification, and that once the reservation is declared the notification binds consolidation and other authorities, whose orders cannot displace it; rights not claimed in the settlement stand extinguished.
On this section: It explains what the Section 4 notification sets in motion, namely the enquiry before the Forest Settlement Officer in which every claim to the land must be lodged, and the finality that attaches once that enquiry is over.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… These officials will be posted only for this purpose and will not be assigned any other duty. This entire exercise shall be completed within a period of two years; - x. all the proceedings regarding notification u/s 20 of the Indian Forest Act 1927 concerning Zudpi Jungle lands notified under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, shall be completed within the next six months. Any further delay shall call for fixing of responsibility and punitive action against the concerned officers; - xi. in the five districts of Vidarbha, viz. Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara, the Central Government shall …
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… These officials will be posted only for this purpose and will not be assigned any other duty. This entire exercise shall be completed within a period of two years; - x. all the proceedings regarding notification u/s 20 of the Indian Forest Act 1927 concerning Zudpi Jungle lands notified under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, shall be completed within the next six months. Any further delay shall call for fixing of responsibility and punitive action against the concerned officers; - xi. in the five districts of Vidarbha, viz. Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara, the Central Government shall …
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… These officials will be posted only for this purpose and will not be assigned any other duty. This entire exercise shall be completed within a period of two years; - x. all the proceedings regarding notification u/s 20 of the Indian Forest Act 1927 concerning Zudpi Jungle lands notified under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, shall be completed within the next six months. Any further delay shall call for fixing of responsibility and punitive action against the concerned officers; - xi. in the five districts of Vidarbha, viz. Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Wardha, and Bhandara, the Central Government shall …
Made under this section, and citing it
2 instruments state that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.
Another 7 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
- Indian Forest Act, 1927 as amended under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provision) Act, 2023 serial No. 4 of the ActNotification 2023
- No. S.O. 84/C.A. 16/1927/Ss 41,42,51Notification 2005
- No. S.O. 84/C.A. 16/1927/Ss 41,42,51Notification 2005
- No. S.O. 42/C.A./16/1927/S.20/2004Notification 2004
- No. S.O. 43/C.A./16/1927/S.20/2004Notification 2004
- No. G.S.R. 60/C.A./16/27/S.20/98Notification 1998
- The Indian Forest Act, 1927Notification 1990
Questions about Section 4
What have the courts held on Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act?
Divisional Forest Officer Kaimer For. Div vs Hari Shankar Singh (16 Dec 2014) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Initial notification for constitution of Reserved Forest; failure to respond to this notification was considered in determining extinguishment of rights. Another 2 judgments on this section are set out below, all of them from the Supreme Court. They run from 2014 to 2016.
How do I find court cases under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Indian Forest Act 1927 4, section 4 Indian Forest Act 1927, section 4 of the Indian Forest Act. People searching for it also type indian forest act 1927 section 4. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 3 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Divisional Forest Officer Kaimer For. Div vs Hari Shankar Singh (16 Dec 2014).
What should I read with Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, and has it changed?
3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there are 2: most recently No. S.O. 89/C.A./16/27/S.4/84 (1984), then No. S.O. 89/C.A./16/27/S.4/84 (1984).
When did Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act come into force?
Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, cited as Indian Forest Act 1927 4, came into force on 21 Sep 1927, having been enacted on 21 Sep 1927. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 52. Seizure of property liable to confiscation4491 words
- 38. Protection of forests at request of owners2928 words
- 61. Saving of power to release property seized2876 words
- 82. Recovery of money due to Government2108 words
- 20. Notification declaring forest reserved1635 words
- 2. Interpretation clause1380 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.