The correct option is 2 and 3 only.
Explanation
Joint Forest Management (JFM) is a decentralized forest management strategy in India. It represents a partnership between the state forest departments and local communities to protect and manage degraded forests. The core philosophy is to involve village communities in the regeneration and protection of forest lands in exchange for usufruct rights.
Statement 1 is Incorrect:
The JFM programme does not rely entirely on the Central Government or exclude local involvement. On the contrary, its fundamental premise is the active involvement of local communities. It depends on the formation of local (village) institutions that undertake protection activities mostly on degraded forest land managed by the forest department.
Statement 2 is Correct:
The programme has been in formal existence since 1988, when the state of Odisha passed the first resolution for Joint Forest Management. This set a precedent for involving local communities in administrative frameworks for forest conservation.
Statement 3 is Correct:
In return for their services in protecting the forests, the members of these communities are entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber forest produces (NTFPs) and a share in the timber harvested upon successful protection and regeneration.
Key Takeaway:
Joint Forest Management (JFM) is a collaborative model initiated formally in 1988 (first by Odisha) that grants local communities rights to forest produce in exchange for their role in protecting degraded forest lands.