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Environment › Conservation & Mitigation

Centre sets up Forest Rights Act (FRA) Cells

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Why in the News?

Under the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned the creation of District and State-level Forest Rights Act (FRA) Cells across 18 States and Union Territories.

About Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA)

  • Launch: It was launched in October 2024 by Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
  • Mission Goal: The initiative aims to promote holistic development of tribal communities by addressing gaps in infrastructure, livelihoods, education, and health.
  • Geographical Reach: The program covers over 63,843 tribal-dominated villages across 30 States/UTs, 2,911 blocks, and 549 districts, benefitting over 5 crore tribal people.
  • Funding: The total budget is ₹79,156 crore, with a central share of ₹56,333 crore and a state share of ₹22,823 crore.
  • Inspiration: DAJGUA is modelled after the PM-JANMAN Scheme, which focuses specifically on the welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

What are FRA Cells under DAJGUA?

  • Overview: FRA Cells are administrative support units created under the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA) to assist in implementing the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
  • Funding Support: These cells are funded directly by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, marking the first instance of central government financing a structured FRA support mechanism.
  • Objective: The core aim of FRA Cells is to help tribal claimants and Gram Sabhas prepare and submit forest rights claims, especially in tribal-dominated districts.
  • Goal: FRA Cells aim to reduce delays and rejections in forest rights applications by improving documentation quality and data management.

Key Features of FRA Cells:

  • Coverage Scale: As of 2025, a total of 324 district-level and 17 state-level FRA Cells have been approved across 18 States and Union Territories.
  • Funding Allocation: Each district-level cell is provided ₹8.67 lakh, and each state-level cell receives ₹25.85 lakh, funded as Grants-in-Aid General by the Centre.
  • Operational Functions: FRA Cells assist in document collection, Gram Sabha resolution drafting, conversion of forest villages into revenue villages, land demarcation, digitization, and record uploads to official portals.
  • Limitations: FRA Cells do NOT interfere with the decision-making powers of statutory authorities like Gram Sabhas, Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLCs), or District Level Committees (DLCs).
  • Leading States: The highest number of FRA Cells have been approved in Madhya Pradesh (55), Chhattisgarh (30), Telangana (29), Maharashtra (26), Assam (25), and Jharkhand (24).

Back2Basics: Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006

  • Overview: The law is officially called The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
  • Objectives: FRA seeks to recognize and vest forest land rights to Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) who have traditionally depended on forests but lacked formal land ownership.
  • Major Provisions: It provides for:
    • Ownership of Minor Forest Produce (MFP)
    • Community rights such as grazing and water use
    • Habitat rights for PVTGs
    • Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights to manage and protect forests
  • Institutional Framework: The Act is implemented through a multi-tier system consisting of Gram Sabhas, Forest Rights Committees (FRCs), SDLCs, DLCs, and State Monitoring Committees.
  • Significance: FRA provides legal protection from evictions, supports livelihoods, and enhances local forest governance through community participation and legal recognition.

 

[UPSC 2021] At the national level, which ministry is the nodal agency to ensure effective implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006?

Options: (a) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (b) Ministry of Panchayati Raj (c) Ministry of Rural Development (d) Ministry of Tribal Affairs*

 

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