{"id":75755,"date":"2026-06-03T18:21:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:51:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=75755"},"modified":"2026-06-03T18:22:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:52:21","slug":"tribal-groups-fra-pesa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-06-2026\/tribal-groups-fra-pesa","title":{"rendered":"Tribal Groups Seek Dissolution of FRA and PESA Task Forces"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/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 constitution of <strong>a task force in Chhattisgarh to fast-track the implementation of laws such as the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996,<\/strong> has led to controversy.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The task force was constituted<strong> <\/strong>to map potential areas for community forest resource rights claims under the FRA, reviewing pending claims, design strategies for PESA-related matters, and assist district authorities with implementation of the FRA.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Critics argue that these task forces <strong>subvert the basic democratic structure of implementation of PESA and FRA as<\/strong> the <strong>creation of task forces moves decision-making power<\/strong> away from village institutions and towards administrative and technical mechanisms.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Adivasi and forest rights groups have <strong>called for the dissolution of task forces on FRA and PESA in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Forest Rights Act<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (Forest Rights Act or FRA) was introduced <strong>to recognize the rights of forest-dwelling communities<\/strong>, including Scheduled Tribes, over forest resources that they have been traditionally using.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Highlights:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Recognition of Rights:<\/strong> It includes individual and community rights such as Self-cultivation, Habitation, Grazing, Fishing and access to Water bodies in forests.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It also includes <strong>Habitat Rights<\/strong> for PVTGs, Traditional Seasonal Resource access of Nomadic and Pastoral communities, access to biodiversity, <strong>community right to intellectual property and traditional knowledge<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Allocation of Forest Land:<\/strong> It also provides rights to allocation of forest land for <strong>developmental purposes<\/strong> to fulfil basic infrastructural needs of the community.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In conjunction with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Settlement Act, 2013 <strong>FRA protects the tribal population from eviction without rehabilitation and settlement.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Role of Gram Sabha: <\/strong>The Act further enjoins upon the Gram Sabha and rights holders the <strong>responsibility of conservation and protection of forests<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Gram Sabha is also a highly empowered body under the Act, enabling the tribal population to have a decisive say in the <strong>determination of local policies and schemes impacting them.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the PESA Act, 1996?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>PESA Act, 1996 stands for the Provisions of the <strong>Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a law enacted by the Parliament to extend the provisions of <strong>Part IX<\/strong> of the Constitution relating to the <strong>Panchayats to the 5th Scheduled Areas<\/strong> in a slightly modified form.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under the <strong>Fifth Schedule<\/strong> of the Constitution, regions with predominantly tribal populations are categorized as <strong>\u2018Scheduled Areas\u2019,<\/strong> a territorial designation that recognises the <strong>customary rights of the Scheduled Tribes (ST).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How has the PESA Act boosted forest conservation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Control Over Natural Resources:<\/strong> The Act grants tribal communities control over the <strong>management and utilization of natural resources,<\/strong> such as land, water, and forests.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decentralized Decision-Making: <\/strong>The\u00a0 Act decentralizes decision-making to the Gram Sabha and Panchayats, enabling more localized and contextually relevant governance.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Land Rights and Preventing Alienation:<\/strong> By requiring that any transfer of land in Scheduled Areas must be approved by the Gram Sabha, the PESA Act provides legal safeguards against the alienation of tribal lands.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strengthen Gram Sabha-Centric Governance: <\/strong>Ensure that implementation of the FRA, 2006 and PESA, 1996 remains rooted in the authority of Gram Sabhas, as envisaged by the laws. Task forces should play a facilitative role rather than a decision-making role.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Institutionalize Participatory Decision-Making:<\/strong> Include representatives of tribal communities, traditional forest dwellers, women&#8217;s groups, and civil society organizations in advisory and monitoring mechanisms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enhance Transparency and Accountability: <\/strong>Publish regular reports on claims processed, rights recognized, and implementation status.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establish independent grievance redressal mechanisms accessible to tribal communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Adopt Cooperative Federal and Constitutional Approaches: <\/strong>States should frame rules and implementation strategies consistent with constitutional protections under the Fifth Schedule and the spirit of tribal self-governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Effective implementation of FRA and PESA requires balancing administrative efficiency with constitutional principles of tribal self-governance.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthening Gram Sabhas, ensuring community participation, and making task forces accountable to local institutions can help achieve both development and democratic empowerment in Scheduled Areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/congress-slams-rss-linked-task-forces-for-pesa-fra-implementation-in-mp-chhattisgarh\/article71052300.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The constitution of a task force in Chhattisgarh to fast-track the implementation of laws such as the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, has led to controversy.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The task force was constituted to map potential areas for community forest resource rights claims under the FRA, reviewing pending claims, design strategies for PESA-related matters, and assist district authorities with implementation of the FRA. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Critics argue that these task forces subvert the basic democratic structure of implementation of PESA and FRA as the creation of task forces moves decision-making power away from village institutions and towards administrative and technical mechanisms. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-06-2026\/tribal-groups-fra-pesa \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/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":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75755","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=75755"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75757,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75755\/revisions\/75757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}