I. Chipko Movement:

Chipko movement that began in 1973 in central Himalayas is one of the most famous movements in India. This movement began in Uttarakhand when forest department had refused permission to villagers to fell ash trees for making agricultural tools and allotted the same patch of land to sports manufacturer for commercial use.

The villagers demanded that no forest exploiting contracts should be given to outsiders and local communities should have effective control over natural resources like land, water and forests. Women's active participation in the Chipko agitation was a very novel aspect of the movement. Villagers in general, and women in particular thwarted commercial falling of trees by hugging the trees to prohibit their cutting and the name chipko originates from this very practice only.

The movement achieved a victory when the then government issued a ban on felling of trees in the Himalayan regions for fifteen years, until the green cover was fully restored. Gaura Devi, a middle aged widow of the village was prominent figure of this movement. After this movement, the Chipko movement inspired many environmental movements and gave rise to series of protests against commercial felling in Himalayan foothills led by Gandhians and leftists.