The Supreme Court’s recent judgment directing the government to adopt measures for the protection of sacred groves brings into focus the fundamental tension between the State and communities in environmental governance. The Court’s seeming endorsement of community management is most aligned with the community forest resource rights under the Forest Rights Act, which empower tribal and traditional forest-dwelling communities to …
December 18, 2023 12:56 am | Updated 10:02 am IST On December 18, 2006, the Rajya Sabha endorsed the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, enacted by the Lok Sabha. This Act, commonly known as the Forest Rights Act, or FRA, marks a watershed in India’s socio-environmental legislation, as it attempts to put an end to the long-drawn …
