Socio-economic development of mankind and well-being depend on the environment and the way in which development influences the environment. Thus, environment and development are interdependent. In fact, economic development is closely linked with the development of resources. These resources can be classified into three categories: public goods, semi-public goods (also known as common property resources) and private goods. In poor countries common property resources make a valuable contribution to the sustainable livelihoods of rural populations. The impact of globalisation on the commons shows various patterns of ownership, control, use and misuse. The commons were subjected to degradation as well as conservation in the process of centralized management in India. After the reform period, the administration of natural resources was given significant attention by specialized departments such as the Forest Department and the Revenue Department. All the land, apart from private land, was regarded as state property and controlled by the state. This paper highlights the need to examine the common property resources sector in the context of wider economic policy reform processes in the Indian economy.