Chhattisgarh village under demolition for Hindalco mine, villagers claim foul play

At least 50 families have been relocated, claims official. A house was razed on June 2  

Chhattisgarh revokes: Forest dept no longer nodal agency for community rights

Chhattisgarh government reinstates the role of the forest department to coordinate claims that are to be filed by communities, …

How can India overcome policy and institutional gaps in forest management

We need to recognise the Gram Sabha as empowered by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment 

Forest Rights Act: From rights on paper to rights in practice

Local civil society organisations play a vital role in helping forest-dwelling communities assert and exercise their collective rights

Community forest resources: Sustainable use, state norms must

No guidelines for gram sabhas to conserve or manage forest areas so far

In a first, Odisha studies potential forest land under FRA

New estimate offers ‘baseline for planning and effective implementation of forest rights Act recognition’ 

अनिल अग्रवाल डायलॉग 2020: अंग्रेजों के जमाने के वन कानून से परेशान होते रहे हैं वनवासी

भारत के वन कानून जंगलों को आमदनी का जरिया मानते हुए इसपर निर्भर रहने वाले वनवासियों के साथ अपराधी जैसा व्यव्हार करती है

Forest Rights Act: A litmus test for govt to protect forest dwellers

It is now the turn of the BJP-led central government, which won 38 out of 48 reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes across the country, to stand by …

Reforms in India’s forest sector stuck in reverse gear

The proposed amendment to the IFA reveals the mindset of policymakers regarding the forest sector has not changed

Rare takes on the year just passing by

Being a Down To Earth reporter entails merging the personal with the professional. The magazine you so dearly own has a fascinating world hidden …

'Village forests have been pitted against community rights'

The proposed amendment of IFA is an attempt to keep power in the hands of the forest bureaucracy by playing up village forests against community …

‘The IFA amendment is a zero draft; all stakeholders will be involved later’

Director General of Forests, Siddhanta Das tells DTE that the proposed amendment in the Indian Forest Act is a mostly techno-legal exercise and …

Why are Wayanad tribals, farmers wary of poll promises?

It seems that tribal leaders, farmers and environmentalists are not impressed with Rahul Gandhi contesting from their constituency

'Sir… if we define forests, it could create many loopholes'

Union forest ministry’s reply to parliamentary committee’s query on absence of a clear definition of forests  

Building institutional foundations for community forest management

Forest commons can play a critical role in facilitating the resilience of India’s response to climate change

Gujarat's Narmada district takes a step forward in forest governance

Five years after 20 villages in the district got their Community Forest Rights titles, their Gram Sabhas have developed a draft of their …

Gujarat government backtracks on granting CFR rights to Maldharis 

Despite granting 47 Community Forest Rights in 2015, the government, through a notification dated September 27, has asked for surveying the land, …

Critical Wildlife Habitat guidelines issued; NTCA order superseded  

Forest rights activists criticise Ministry of Tribal Affairs' decision to accept the guidelines without making any revisions or inviting comments …

Tribal ministry tells states to stop rejecting FRA claims on invalid grounds

In a letter dated June 27, Leena Nair, the then secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs had written to the chief secretaries of states raising …

Letting go of the colonial hangover should be the goal of the new forest policy

Forest department in India needs to reverse its role from being the owner and regulator of forests to becoming a facilitator in community-managed …

The amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927 will create new markets & jobs for poor communities

After amending Section 2(7) of Indian Forest Act, 1927, bamboo is no longer a tree. This enables the livelihoods of forest communities as well as …

Cannot evict tribals from tiger reserves without their consent: NCST

Earlier, NTCA rejected forest rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 in tiger reserves

Habitat rights of Odisha’s tribal group denied; their livelihood also at stake

The bone of contention is the core area of the Similipal Tiger Reserve where the Mankidia tribe eke out a living by collecting Siali fibre

Communities denied justice due to logjam between tribal affairs and environment ministry

Even as cases of FRA violations are being reported, the environment ministry has backtracked on its earlier promise of involving communities in …

States violate community forest rights as Centre delays implementation of CAF Act

States exploit the delay in the drafting of rules for the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act to assert rights over land claimed by communities …