As per the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which of these are the legal rights of tribals? 1. Conservation of forests and biodiversity. 2. Granting lease to non-tribals for accessing core forest areas. 3. Repeal environmentally sensitive projects by local bodies.
● India's forests are governed by two main laws, the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. ● The former empowers the government to declare any area to be a reserved forest, protected forest, or village forest. ● The latter allows any area to be constituted as a "protected area", namely a National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiger Reserve, or Community Conservation Area. ● The tribal communities of India have had an integral and close-knit relationship with the forests and have been dependent on the forests for livelihoods and existence. ● Under these laws, the rights of people living in or depending on the area to be declared as a forest or protected area are to be "settled" by a "forest settlement officer. ● However, rights were rarely recognized by the authorities and in the absence of real ownership of the land, the already marginalized local dwellers suffered. To address this, FRA 2006 was enacted. ● Major provisions are: ◦ Title rights - ownership to land that is being farmed by tribals or forest dwellers, subject to a maximum of 4 hectares; ownership is only for landthat is actually being cultivated by the concerned family as of that date, meaning that no new lands are granted. ◦ Use rights - to minor forest produce (also including ownership), to grazing areas, to pastoralist routes, etc. ◦ Relief and development rights - to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement; and to basic amenities, subject to restrictionsfor forest protection. ◦ Forest management rights - to protect forests and wildlife. So, statement 1 is correct.