Implementation of Forest Rights

A PIL was filed by wildlife activists in 2008 challenging the constitutional validity of the Forest Rights Act. On 13th February, 2019, the Supreme Court ordered that all persons whose claims are rejected should be evicted from the forest lands. As per data from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 50% of claims made since 2007 have been rejected. Out of 42.24 lakh claims received, 18.94 lakh have received titles, 19.39 lakh have been rejected, and 4 lakh are still being assessed.

According to tribal rights’ groups, claims are often rejected at the Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SFLC) and District Level Committee (DLC) arbitrarily without complete documentation. After public uproar, the SC stayed its order on 28th February 2019. The SC gave the States 4 months to report on the procedure followed for rejecting claims and the appeals procedure.

Those who are entitled to forest rights- under Scheduled Tribes & Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006), are Forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDSTs), who primarily reside in and depend on forest land for livelihood needs, and Other traditional forest-dwellers (OTFDs), which is any community which has resided in and has depended on forest land for at least 3 generations (75 years) prior to 13.12.2005. These rights may be held under individual or community tenure or both. It includes the right to hold and live in the forest land for habitation or self-cultivation for livelihood; the right to ownership, access to collect, use, and dispose of minor forest produce which have been traditionally collected; the rights for conversion of Pattas/leases/grants issued by local authority/State government on forest lands into Titles; the rights to in situ rehabilitation, including alternative land, in cases where the STs or OTFDs have been illegally evicted or displaced from forest land.

Several tribal rights organisations have filed impleadment applications before the Supreme Court to become parties to the ongoing PIL to ensure that no adverse orders are passed against tribals without hearing their voices. The impleadment applications also lay down the issues in implementation of the Forest Rights Act and contain state-specific data as well as national trends.

Impleadment Applications filed Statewise


1. Bihar
- Wildlife First & Ors. vs Union of India & Ors.
2. Chhattisgarh
3. Karnataka
4. Kerala
5. Madhya Pradesh
6. Maharashtra
7. Uttar Pradesh
8. Uttrakhand
State Consultation on Tiger Widows, Forest Rights Act, Reproductive Health Rights, and Human Trafficking

Sundarban is the largest tidal mangrove forest located in the south-east of India adjoining the Bay of Bengal with ...read more

STATE CONSULTATION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS, PRISONERS RIGHTS, FOREST RIGHTS AND WOMEN’S JUSTICE.

  DISABILITY RIGHTS Worldwide one billion individuals have a disability. Many people with disabilities ...read more

BANKURA STUDENTS HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING

The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and other tradit ...read more

BANKURA DISTRICT MEETING

The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and oth ...read more

BARUIPUR DISTRICT MEETING

Sundarban, the largest deltaic forest of the world, includes over hundreds of islands (105), with a gesture of numerous ...read more

Jhargram District Meeting

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is a key piece of ...read more

Bankura District Meeting

The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and oth ...read more

Forest Right Act 2006, Right to Property, Land related issues and Discussion on Violence against Women

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is a key piece ...read more

State Level Meeting on Violation of Human Rights in West Bengal During Covid 19

Prior to the announcement of the National Lockdown on 25 March 2020, a number of courts had shut down in response to t ...read more

Tribals Facing Eviction

Roopsingh Vs State of M.P., W.P. No. 6651/2020
Pending

Promise and Performance of the Forest Rights Act, 2006: The Tenth Anniversary Report

Andhra Pradesh (AP) had 23 districts till its bifurcation into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2014. There are now nine ...read more

Report on Forest Rights Act - Minority Rights Group International

This report is made by Minority Rights Group International (“MRG”) in relation to W.P. (C) No. 109/2008 titled Wildl ...read more

Redressing ‘Historical Injustice’ through the Indian Forest Rights Act 2006

The issue of forest rights in India is a major concern by any measure.  It affects forested landscapes that cover o ...read more

Community Managed Forests: law. Problem and alternatives. (A Case Study of Meghalaya)

By Ritwick Dutta The North-Eastern region of the country, which comprises the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizo ...read more

Independent People’s Tribunal : An Inquiry into the Status of Implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006

Independent People’s Tribunal on the Status of Implementation of Forest Rights Act (2006) – A Report © Socio Le ...read more

Handbook on Forest Rights Act

Edited by Ahmed Raza Forest Rights Act recognises and secures Community Rights or Rights over Community Forest Resourc ...read more

Promise and Performance of Forest Rights Act: The Tenth Anniversary Report

In December, 2006, both the houses of the Indian Parliament unanimously passed the historic Scheduled Tribes and Other T ...read more

Promise and Performance of Forest Rights Recognition Act, 2006: The Tenth Anniversary Report

As the 29th state of India, Telangana came into existence on 2nd June 2014 with 10 districts of undivided Andhra Pradesh ...read more

Promise and performance : 10 years of the Forest Rights Act in India

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA 2006) was enact ...read more

National Research Study on Implementation of Forest Rights Act in Neighboring States of Odisha

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or in short, the Forest ...read more

Promise and Performance: Ten Years of the Forest Rights Act in India

Background of the Forest Rights ActIn its preamble, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognit ...read more

Promise and Performance of the Forest Rights Act, 2006: The Tenth Anniversary Report

The passage of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) promised the reversal of a major ‘historical injustice’ which dates back ...read more

Trends and Directions in the Implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act, 2006 after Twelve Years

The faculty members and research scholars of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai have been actively engaged ...read more

Report National Committee on Forest Rights Act

The  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Traditional  Forest  Dwellers  (Recognition& ...read more