The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has issued a major policy shift, declaring that the relocation of forest-dwelling communities from tiger reserves must only occur as an “exceptional, voluntary, and evidence-based measure.” The new framework emphasizes that communities should have the right to remain in their traditional forest habitats under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), while ensuring that relocation, if undertaken, adheres to strict standards of consent, equity, and scientific justification.
The policy outlines the creation of a National Framework for Community-Centred Conservation and Relocation (NFCCR), to be jointly managed by the Environment and Tribal Affairs Ministries. This framework would establish clear procedures, timelines, and accountability systems for any relocation effort. Additionally, a National Database on Conservation-Community Interface (NDCCI) will be developed to track relocations, compensation, and post-relocation outcomes. Annual independent audits by empanelled agencies will also ensure compliance with the FRA, Wildlife Protection Act, and human rights standards.
Communities choosing to remain in forest areas will retain their Individual and Community Forest Rights. The government must provide in-situ development of essential infrastructure, include Gram Sabha representatives in Tiger Conservation Foundations and Eco Development Committees, and promote sustainable cohabitation models for wider replication.
This policy stands in contrast to last year directive by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which called for prioritizing village relocations from core tiger reserve areas a move that drew widespread protests from Gram Sabhas and forest rights activists. As per NTCA data, 591 villages with over 64,000 families are located in core tiger habitats. The Environment Ministry had informed Parliament that between January 2022 and August 2024, 5,166 families from 56 villages across seven states had been relocated, claiming all relocations were voluntary.
Tribal Affairs Secretary Vibhu Nayar, in a letter to the Environment Ministry, emphasized the need for a “collaborative approach” to ensure that any relocation is “voluntary, scientifically justified, rights-compliant, and grounded in dignity.” The framework, he added, aims to ensure that the process aligns with constitutional and ethical standards while upholding the rights of forest-dwelling communities.
It mandates that consent for relocation must be obtained freely, without coercion, and with all information provided in local languages. Each tiger reserve will appoint a compliance and safeguards officer to monitor adherence to legal provisions, supported by a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at the district, state, and national levels. The policy also states that in cases of unlawful dispossession or procedural lapses, provisions under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act can be invoked.
By centering the rights and choices of forest communities within conservation strategies, this policy marks a decisive step toward reconciling ecological protection with human dignity and justice.