The Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 is a milestone in the legislative history of independent India. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is a result of the protracted struggle by the marginal and tribal communities of our country to assert their rights over the forestland over which they were traditionally dependent. This Act is crucial to the rights of millions of tribals and other forest dwellers in different parts of our country as it provides for the restitution of deprived forest rights across India, including both individual rights to cultivated land in forestland and community rights over common property resources.
This is due to its mandate to ‘undo the historical injustice’ done to millions of forest-dwelling tribal and other communities whose pre-existing rights were not recognized during the consolidation of state forests.
Particular Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India face extreme socio-economic vulnerability and maintain distinct cultural practices. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 seeks to correct historical injustices by granting forest land and resource rights to forest-dwelling communities. However, PVTGs face specific challenges under FRA that impede the effective implementation of these rights.
The livelihood of perhaps 100 million poorest of the poor stands to improve if implementation can succeed.
News Update
Announcement Notice / Tender Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) There are 75 centrally recognized Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India. This special category within the Scheduled Tribes was established during the Fourth Five-Year Plan based on the Dhebar Commission report (1960-61) and other studies, which highlighted disparities in development among tribal communities. Originally classified as "Primitive Tribal Groups" (PTGs), these communities were identified by the characteristics: pre-agricultural practices, reliance on hunting and gathering, zero or negative population growth, and relatively low literacy levels compared to other tribal groups.
