Relevance for UPSC: GS II (Governance, Tribal Welfare); GS III (Environment & Forests)
Source: The Hindu ; Ministry of Tribal Affairs, media reports

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is developing a national digital portal to bring the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 fully online. The proposed platform aims to cover the entire workflow of forest rights recognition, from claim filing at the Gram Sabha level to final approval and issuance of titles.

Key features:

• Single-window system for filing and tracking claims.
• End-to-end processing through statutory committees up to the district level.
• Digital title deeds, storage of legacy records, and mapping of forest rights areas.
• Intended to improve transparency, time-bound delivery, and monitoring of FRA implementation.

Significance:
The portal can reduce delays and discretion, strengthen tenurial security of forest dwellers, and support community-based forest management. However, safeguards are needed to prevent exclusion due to the digital divide and to preserve Gram Sabha primacy, which lies at the heart of the FRA.

Q. With reference to the Forest Rights Act, 2006, consider the following statements:

1. The Gram Sabha plays a central role in initiating and verifying forest rights claims.
2. The Act recognises only individual land rights, not community rights.
3. Implementation of the Act is overseen by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 1 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3