India, Dec. 1 -- New Delhi The Supreme Court on Thursday refrained from staying amendments to the Forest Conservation Act that come into effect from December 1, after the Union government assured it that no "precipitate action" will be taken till guidelines are framed to provide for exemptions from the definition of forest under the new law.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by 13 retired public servants who had challenged the constitutional validity of the amendments claiming it to be a "death knell" on India's forests. The petitioners moved a stay application on the grounds that the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2023 restricts the expansive scope of forests laid down by the Supreme Court in a landmar...