Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question requires matching key Indian environmental and wildlife-related legislation with the year they were enacted. Note: "The Cruelty Against Animal Act" is commonly known as "The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act".
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let's match each act with its correct year:
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(A) The Wildlife (Protection) Act: This is a landmark act for wildlife conservation in India and was passed in 1972. So, (A) matches (I).} \\ \bullet & \text{(B) The Indian Forest Act: This is a major piece of forest legislation from the British colonial period, enacted in 1927. So, (B) matches (II).} \\ \bullet & \text{(C) The Madras Wild Elephant Preservation Act: This was an early piece of wildlife legislation from the colonial era, enacted in 1873. So, (C) matches (IV).} \\ \bullet & \text{(D) The Cruelty Against Animal Act (The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act): This act was passed by the Parliament of India in 1960. So, (D) matches (III).} \\ \end{array}\]
The correct set of matches is A-I, B-II, C-IV, D-III.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct matching option is (A) - (I), (B) - (II), (C) - (IV), (D) - (III).