{"id":41387,"date":"2025-04-17T19:35:15","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T14:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=41387"},"modified":"2025-04-18T11:14:22","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T05:44:22","slug":"call-for-permanent-settlement-for-tribals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/17-04-2025\/call-for-permanent-settlement-for-tribals","title":{"rendered":"Call for Permanent Settlement for Tribals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Government Policies &amp; Interventions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The recent discussions on permanent settlement for displaced tribals highlight the need for a structured approach to ensure their land rights, livelihood security, and cultural preservation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Overview: Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Population:<\/strong> Over 104 million (Census 2011); About 8.6% of India&#8217;s total population;<br>&#8211; <strong>Article 342:<\/strong> It defines which tribes are considered \u2018Scheduled Tribes\u2019 for the purposes of the Constitution.<br>1. It gives Parliament the power to add or remove tribes from this list.<br>&#8211; <strong>Fifth and Sixth Schedules of Constitution:<\/strong> Provide for administration and governance of tribal areas in central and northeastern India respectively.<br>&#8211; <strong>Article 15 &amp; 16: <\/strong>Prohibition of discrimination and provision of reservations in education and employment.<br>&#8211; <strong>Article 46:<\/strong> Mandates the state to promote the educational and economic interests of STs.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Causes of Tribal Displacement<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Development Projects: <\/strong>Infrastructure initiatives like dams, mining, and industrial projects have led to the displacement of millions of tribal people.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nearly 85.39 lakh tribal people were displaced until 1990 due to large-scale projects like dams, mining, and industrialization. Examples include the <strong>Narmada Valley Project<\/strong> and coal mining in states like <strong>Odisha and Jharkhand.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tribals constitute 55.16% of the total displaced population in the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Conflict and Insurgency:<\/strong> Tribal communities in regions like Chhattisgarh have been displaced due to conflicts between Maoist insurgents and security forces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Issue of Land Title: <\/strong>According to<strong> NITI Aayog, <\/strong>only about 45% of potential forest dwellers have been issued titles so far, leaving millions without secure tenure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Conservation Efforts:<\/strong><strong>Project Tiger<\/strong> has led to the displacement of 5.5 lakh Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Before 2021, around 2.54 lakh people were displaced from tiger reserves in India, but <strong>post-2021, the displacement rate increased exponentially.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gendered Impacts of Eviction: <\/strong>Women, the primary collectors of minor forest produce, are disproportionately affected by forest displacement. Their role is often not legally acknowledged in land title distribution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental vs Tribal Rights Conflicts: <\/strong>The push for conservation and industrial development often results in forced relocation of tribals from protected areas.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In tiger reserves, the NTCA admitted relocation of tribal populations without proper consent or rehabilitation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Legal Recognition:<\/strong> Many displaced tribals live on illegally occupied forest lands, facing eviction threats from authorities.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Forest departments resisted FRA implementation across several states, <strong>labeling rightful tribal claims as \u2018encroachments\u2019.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The absence of a national policy for <strong>Internally Displaced People (IDPs)<\/strong> leaves them vulnerable to exploitation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legal Barriers and Bureaucratic Resistance:<\/strong> Many claims are rejected on technical grounds like lack of documentary evidence, despite oral traditions being legally admissible under FRA.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rehabilitation Gaps:<\/strong> Out of an estimated 85 lakh displaced persons, only 21 lakh have been rehabilitated, highlighting significant gaps in resettlement efforts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impact of Displacement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Loss of Land and Livelihood:<\/strong> Displacement often results in land alienation, depriving tribals of their primary source of sustenance.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many displaced individuals struggle to find stable employment, leading to economic insecurity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Disruption:<\/strong> Forced migration disrupts tribal social structures and traditions, eroding their cultural identity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social and Psychological Challenges:<\/strong> Displaced tribals face social isolation, lack of access to education and healthcare, and psychological trauma.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Earlier Resettlement Efforts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Earlier, in 1949, Government of India shifted <strong>tribals from forests to roadside camps<\/strong> to fight the Telangana communist revolutionaries after the surrender of the Nizam.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2005, around 50,000 Gond tribals were forced to migrate to then-undivided Andhra Pradesh (now parts of Telangana) when the government embarked on the <strong>\u2018Strategic Hamleting\u2019 Programme<\/strong> to <strong>eliminate Maoists in Chhattisgarh.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Mizo Rehabilitation Program<\/strong> (2019) successfully provided permanent settlement for displaced <strong>Bru (Reang) Tribals.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, similar efforts have <strong>not been extended<\/strong> to the<strong> Gutti Koya tribals,<\/strong> who continue to struggle for legal recognition of their settlements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives &amp; Responses<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006:<\/strong> It grants individual forest rights for habitation and cultivation, and provides community forest rights, allowing tribals to manage and use forest resources sustainably.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the FRA, 2006, if a tribal person was forced to vacate a forest land under her possession before the c<strong>ut-off date of December 13, 2005,<\/strong> the <strong>State must provide her with alternative forest land.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)<\/strong> has initiated surveys to assess the number of displaced tribals and their needs.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Successful models like the<strong> Bru rehabilitation program in Mizoram<\/strong> can serve as templates for other regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana:<\/strong> It aimed at holistic tribal development, has faced funding constraints, limiting its impact.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It addresses gaps in infrastructure and livelihood opportunities for tribal communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)<\/strong>: It was launched to improve the lives of <strong>75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)<\/strong> across 18 states and a Union Territory.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It focuses on housing, clean drinking water, education, healthcare, electrification, and sustainable livelihoods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes,&nbsp; formerly known as the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP):<\/strong> It ensures fund allocation for tribal development across 42 ministries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS):<\/strong> It provides quality education to tribal children through 401 residential schools, with over 1.2 lakh students enrolled.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It encourages higher female enrollment, with 60,815 female students compared to 59,255 male students.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Call for Permanent Settlement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Legal Recognition of Land Rights:<\/strong> Granting land ownership to displaced tribals is essential for their stability and security.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Legal Provision like the <strong>Forest Rights Act, 2006,<\/strong> need to be effectively implemented to protect tribal land rights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Livelihood Support:<\/strong> Skill development programs and employment opportunities should be integrated into resettlement plans.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access to education and healthcare must be prioritized.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Preservation:<\/strong> Resettlement policies should ensure that tribal communities can retain their traditional practices and social structures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The call for permanent settlement for displaced tribals is a crucial step toward ensuring their rights, dignity, and long-term stability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A well-structured policy, backed by legal recognition and economic support, can help these communities rebuild their lives while preserving their cultural heritage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> In what ways can a policy for the permanent settlement of displaced tribal communities balance their land rights, cultural preservation, and livelihood security, while also addressing governmental and environmental concerns?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/call-for-permanent-settlement-for-tribals\/article69456434.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-17-April-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The recent discussions on permanent settlement for displaced tribals highlight the need for a structured approach to ensure their land rights, livelihood security, and cultural preservation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41387"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41463,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41387\/revisions\/41463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}