Union Tribal Affairs Secretary Ranjana Chopra on Thursday (September 10, 2026) called for State governments to pay “greater attention” to recognising community forest rights and community forest resource rights under the Forest Rights Act of 2006, pointing to their “potential to strengthen Gram Sabha-led forest governance and community-based livelihoods”.
At the regional conference, which was held to review the implementation of the Forest Rights Act in the southern States of India, Ms.
Chopra said, “Recognition of rights must translate into tenure security, sustainable livelihoods and convergence with development schemes, leading to the empowerment of tribal communities. Following this, opposition leaders like Jairam Ramesh, who is also the former Environment Minister, and rights organisations like the Campaign for Survival and Dignitiy have called this position of the Ministry “shocking” and demanded it withdraw this position, which they said was factually and legally incorrect. In her remarks on Thursday , the Tribal Affairs Secretary also referred to the recent joint advisory issued by MoTA and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, “enabling integration of Community Forest Resource Management Plans with Forest Department working and management plans”. “Habitat rights of PVTGs embody living systems of culture, livelihood and traditional knowledge,” the Secretary said, adding that the recognition of these rights should be “undertaken with sensitivity and active community participation”.
