Ministry of Tribal Affairs reviews Forest Rights Act implementation at Srinagar conference

On 23 October 2026, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs held the Third Regional Review Conference on implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) in Srinagar, with officials from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir, concluding a series that began in Bengaluru and Kolkata. The Ministry's Joint Secretary reported that, as of 31 August 2026, about 54 lakh claims had been received nationally, with 43.56 lakh (80.64%) disposed of, 25.42 lakh titles granted over nearly 238 lakh acres, 10.45 lakh claims pending and 18.13 lakh rejected. He stressed that every rejection must carry a reasoned order communicated to the claimant, preserving the claimant's statutory right of appeal under the Act.

The conference also discussed Community Forest Resource Rights, urging that their management plans be aligned with Forest Department working plans under a joint July 2026 communication between the Ministry and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and noted that Habitat Rights have so far been recognised for only 11 of the country's 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. Jammu and Kashmir reported a July 2026 circular directing that eligible Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dweller families not be evicted until due process under the Act is completed. States were asked to hold quarterly monitoring meetings and integrate their FRA records with the National FRA Portal.