Joint Forest Management (JFM), the partnership between the Government Forest Department and forest-fringe community (organised through the Forest Protection Committees (FPCs) towards Forest Protection, had its inception in the state of West Bengal and is considered to be the most successful in this state. Bankura (North) Division, being part of the successful JFM zone, has some unique features like, diverse topographical configurations, availability of commercially viable minerals beneath the forests in some areas and regions, like Barjora, that have seen a recent spurt in industrialisation and urbanisation. All these factors provided an exclusive opportunity to study the factors leading to the effectiveness of JFM, involving the FPCs.