Central Empowered Committee

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) is an expert authority that assists the Supreme Court in overseeing compliance with its orders concerning forests, wildlife and the environment. Its central role is to investigate referred matters, monitor implementation and provide fact-based reports and recommendations, rather than to replace regular forest administration or courts.

Institutional basis and status

The CEC originated pursuant to Supreme Court directions in T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India in 2002. It was subsequently constituted by the Union government as an authority under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, giving it a continuing institutional basis.

Core mandate in forest governance

• It monitors compliance with Supreme Court orders relating to forests, wildlife and environmental protection, especially those issued in the Godavarman proceedings.
• It examines applications or issues referred to it by the Supreme Court and submits findings and recommendations.
• It may investigate alleged violations through notices, examination of records, hearings and field inspections.
• It reports non-compliance to the Supreme Court, enabling judicial supervision of matters such as forest protection, encroachment and activities affecting forest land.
• Its reports are recommendatory inputs assisting the Court; final judicial determinations remain with the Supreme Court.

Relationship with forest rights institutions

The CEC's supervisory role must be distinguished from the rights-recognition process under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Under Section 6, forest-right claims begin with the Gram Sabha and proceed through the prescribed sub-divisional and district-level authorities; the CEC does not substitute these statutory institutions.