The tropical forest is a dominant net source of terrestrial carbon emissions and also stores a large in their biomass. A small proportional change in either the sequestration and storage or the emission of CO2 can result in a significant net sink or source. Tropical forests are largely spread over in developing countries, where forests are under threat of faster economic growth, population pressure, poverty and food security. In recent decades, there has been a drastic change in the intensity and extent of slash and burn practices in the tropic forests, especially in South and Southeast Asia posed concern on the global net carbon budget. Shifting cultivation spreads over roughly 2.6 million sq km in the tropics, of which 6.0–9.0% has been cleared annually. A total of 8446.76 sq km and around 2.0 million tribal people in India, especially North-East India, are engaged in slash and burn agriculture. The present discussion focuses on the shifting cultivation in North-East Indian states and its sustainability, especially ecological sustainability. Changing areas under shifting cultivation, recorded forest areas and forest cover changes are highlighted to illustrate the level and trend of swiddening and changes in tropical forests over the years. Challenges to forest administration and conservation and the conflict over community-based forest management are also critically discussed. The study argues that the ecological sustainability in shifting cultivation in North-East India is a grave concern, mainly due to dramatically decline of the fallow period to 5 years or less from 20 years or more. A good secondary forest can no longer generate, resulting in the disturbing carbon balance and the permanent loss of above- and below-ground carbon. Other issues, such as rules and regulation conflicts with community forest rights, growing population pressure, severe unemployment, lack of inclusive growth and prolonged ethnopolitical turmoils, affect effective forest management. The region faces formidable challenges to the livelihood security of millions of tribes on the one hand and net near zero balance of carbon emission in shifting cultivation on the other hand.