Chhattisgarh govt begins process to grant FRA to Abujmarh tribals

Government to grant habitat rights to Abujh Marias, a particularly vulnerable tribal group that reside in the forest, considered a bastion of Naxalism

Rightful or rightless: Forest villagers in Saranda struggle to shed ‘illegal’ tag

Jharkhand forest department refuses to recognise rights of occupants of forest villages like Marchi gada in West Singhbhum

Telangana’s revised District Mineral Foundation Rules to increase political interference

The amendment to the Rules has taken away the right of people to participate in making decisions on a fund meant for them

Gond tribals, Madhya Pradesh government fight for 4000 hectares of land

Two government departments and landless people are locked in a legal battle over 4,000 ha in Madhya Pradesh whose outcome would have countrywide …

Cyclone Hudhud: experience from Koraput

The storm damaged houses, crops and livestock of people in the tribal belt but government has not even taken note of it

Green clearances are being increasingly treated as a mere formality

In the garb of streamlining green clearances, the Union government has sidelined communities and diluted environmental regulations over the past …

GST removed on sabai rope, sal and siali leaves

The GST rate on these products was brought down from 5% to nil by the GST Council in its 28th meeting held on July 21

Miles to go: In these tribal regions of Odisha, the nearest health clinic is jungles & rivers away

In the absence of healthcare services and lack of transportation, vulnerable tribes are deprived of timely healthcare facilities

Despite intention, why Odisha villages are failing to keep their girls in school

Infrastructural improvement will need to follow laws passed to empower women, say experts

COVID-19 among Dongriya Kondhs: 4 test positive

Their economy hit; several unable to go out to sell crops and other produce due to COVID-19 fear

Villages inside forest near Guwahati struggle for basic amenities

Lack of health infrastructure and medical personnel in inaccessible areas is a perennial problem in Assam

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 …

‘Govt is cheating us, destroying traditional agriculture’

Farmers living in tribal areas in Jharkhand alleged that industrialists and the government are conspiring to ruin diverse traditional seeds and crops

SC seeks reports on rejected forest rights claims from states

The apex court has been hearing a petition filed by retired forest officials and some conservation-related non-profits, who want the FRA to be …

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

Fifth Schedule - Not a happy anniversary

Sixty-six years after B R Ambedkar introduced it, the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution, which grants powers to tribal people over their land …

Indira, Manmohan, Modi: Why all see civil society with suspicion

The arrests of activists and rights campaigners is set to further dip the relationship between government and the civil society

Forest dept in Odisha oversteps FRA rules, complain tribal rights activists

They say that Kalahandi district’s divisional forest officer issued a transit permit to take bamboo out of forest land when he has no right …

Vantangiyas: Forests builders but not considered forest dwellers

The community that has been turning barren land into dense forests is struggling for education, subsidised food and healthcare

Spirit of forest law being quashed in Gujarat

Petitioners approach Gujarat High Court over rejection of 1,13,000 claims out of the 1,82,000 individual claims from across the 13 districts

Himachal Pradesh launches eviction drive, ignores forest rights of tribal farmers

More than 10,000 plots across the state’s forest areas have been identified for eviction

Bengal forest department calls Gram Sabha ‘illegal’; files FIR against 11

Villagers from the Gram Sabha gathered near Bamini falls on the eve of Birsa Munda’s birthday 

Development projects should look beyond low-hanging fruits to bring about actual change

Bihar needs to strengthen and enhance capacities of Gram Panchayats to realise the gains of a decentralised planning

Turmeric soaps pave way for financial independence of Koraput’s tribal women

Around 1,2000 tribal women in the area have managed to eke out a living making turmeric soaps

Shelterless Kashmiri pastoralists denied benefits of Forest Rights Act

The migratory population is unable to repair their damaged huts as the government sits on claim forms