Election boycott over mining
Residents protest iron mining in Maharashtra tehsil; authorities blame murder for boycott
SC vacates Madras HC order staying issue of pattas to forest dwellers
The Madras High Court had passed an interim order in April 2008 staying the issue of pattas in Tamil Nadu without its permission
Walk the village talk
After raising the political profile of village councils, government wants to downsize them
Protectors dubbed criminals
Tribals in Madhya Pradesh celebrate festival to reclaim forests; officials say they are encroaching land
In a first, Odisha studies potential forest land under FRA
New estimate offers ‘baseline for planning and effective implementation of forest rights Act recognition’
‘Indigenous people have been effective stewards of biodiversity globally’
Down To Earth speaks to University of Connecticut professor Prakash Kashwan about his book, Democracy in the Woods
It’s a hot potato for PepsiCo and farmers
The corporate giant claims that the farmers are cultivating their proprietary FC5 potatoes without permission
Chhattisgarh govt keeps poll promise, starts review of rejected FRA claims
The step is a reflection of how issues related to FRA have become politically relevant, say activists
Civil society criticises Centre’s Global Wildlife Programme, doubts minister’s claims
The Global Wildlife Programme has been launched in partnership with World Bank and United Nations Development Programme to curb illegal wildlife …
We need conservation frameworks that empower, incorporate forest dwelling communities
The history of Project Tiger, which completed 50 years this year, reveals systemic exclusion of oppressed caste forest-dwelling communities
Forest paradox
To give forest dwellers their due rights, forest governance must go beyond the environment and include the communities at stake
Let’s talk
On February 24, Centre for Science and Environment raised the curtains for the Anil Agarwal Dialogues on green clearances. The two-day conclave …
Disowned 100,000
Taungyas have lived in Uttar Pradesh for decades but law does not recognise them. FRA gives hope
Indigenous civil engineers
Traditional earth diggers and masons, who mined the Bhatti area of the Aravallis for decades, dig in their heels as the Delhi administration …
A tale of two interpretations
Aparna Pallavi recounts struggles of residents of a tiny village in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra to get ownership of forest resources
State inaction
The traditional forest dweller has had very few entitlements down centuries. Guardian of the forest, he has been regarded as encroacher by the …
Women in Odisha village take charge to fast track community forest rights
This isn’t the first time women have come together to not only protect forests, but also voice their demand for recognition of the Forest …
These 2 Odisha villages wrangle over forest land, but maintain harmony
The people of Tilabadi and Mittukuli share their resources, welcome guests and celebrate festivals together despite claiming a chunk of land …
Dictionary-defined ‘forests’ will be out of forest laws?
Government proposes amendments to the Forest Conservation Act reasoning current laws not encouraging plantation, forest creation and mounting …
Govt committed to giving land titles to eligible forest dwellers: Javadekar
He also defended the Centre’s role in the case questioning the FRA’s validity
Odisha tribal department writes to collectors on FRA rejected claim review
The letter gives detailed instructions to district collectors about how to take up appeals and reviews of all rejected Individual Forest Right …
Indian Forest Act: What the proposed amendment entails
The government is all set to amend the colonial Indian Forest Act, and make it more biased against forest dwellers
New awakenings in the trans-Himalaya
With threats to common properties multiplying and people’s traditional access to living systems being denied, the Forest Rights Act is …
Gadchiroli villages to move SC against Maharashtra forest body
Villagers are challenging the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd’s 2016 decision under which, it felled 385 hectares of old-…
Hunger strike for FRA implementation continues in Chhattisgarh; state yet to respond
Government has given land under the Individual Forest Rights titles, which is way less than what people originally occupied