Impact on Indigenous People and Forest Rights Act

The Forest Rights Act of 2006 protected community forest resources historically used by tribal communities for livelihoods. However, the government's amendment to the Forest Conservation Act threatens these rights by impinging on the protection granted under the Forest Rights Act. This could have disastrous consequences for tribal communities and indigenous people, leading to potential displacement and loss of biodiversity-rich forests. Ex-civil servants and NGOs have taken the matter to the Supreme Court to safeguard forests and tribal rights, resulting in temporary intervention from the court using the dictionary definition of forest.