Relevance: GS-2 (Polity & Governance) & GS-3 (Environment, Infrastructure) |Source: The Hindu

1. What is the Core Issue?

The ₹92,000-crore mega-infrastructure project in Great Nicobar Island is facing serious legal trouble in the Calcutta High Court.

• The Problem: The government claims that local villagers gave “unanimous consent” for the project. However, official records show that these village meetings severely lacked the legally required “quorum” (minimum attendance).
• Activists allege the government rushed the process and blatantly violated the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 to fast-track the project.

2. The Legal Violation: What is a “Quorum”?

To legally take over tribal land, the government must get permission from the local Gram Sabha (village assembly).

• The FRA Rule: Under the Forest Rights Act, a Gram Sabha meeting is only legally valid if at least 50% of the adult population attends the meeting. Furthermore, one-third of the attendees must be women.
• The Ground Reality: Out of a total population of over 7,500 people across the affected villages, only 349 people attended the meetings. This means a mere 4.6% of the population signed off on a project that will destroy their ancestral homeland. This drastically fails the 50% legal mandate.

3. Why is the Government Pushing this Project?

Despite the protests, NITI Aayog is pushing this project because of India’s national security and economic needs. It involves building four massive things: a mega-port, a dual-use military/civilian airport, a power plant, and a new city.

• Strategic Location: Great Nicobar is incredibly close to Indonesia (just 90 km away) and sits right next to the Strait of Malacca—one of the world’s busiest and most critical sea trade routes.
• Countering China: Building a strong naval and commercial base here allows India to constantly monitor global ship movements and counter China’s growing military presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

4. The Threat to Tribes and Ecology

Environmentalists argue that the cost of this development is too high:

• Tribal Displacement: The island is the ancestral home of the Shompen (a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group – PVTG) and the Nicobarese tribes. Pushing them out without proper consent violates their basic human rights.
• Massive Deforestation: The project requires cutting down nearly 1 million ancient rainforest trees (clearing 130 sq. km of pristine forest).
• Wildlife Danger: The island is a global biosphere reserve. The mega-port construction at Galathea Bay will directly destroy the world-famous nesting sites of the endangered Giant Leatherback Turtle.

5. The Way Forward

This is a classic “National Security vs. Human Rights” dilemma.

• While securing India’s maritime borders is absolutely critical, the government cannot bypass its own laws to achieve it.
• Taking consent from just 4.6% of the population is a mere “check-box” approach to governance. To ensure democratic and sustainable development, the administration must hold fresh, fully transparent Gram Sabhas that strictly meet the 50% quorum rule, ensuring the true voices of the tribal communities are respected.

UPSC Value Box 

• Shompen: A hunter-gatherer nomadic tribe living in Great Nicobar. They are classified as a PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group), meaning they require the highest level of protection.
• Galathea Bay: A highly ecologically sensitive bay in Great Nicobar, globally renowned as a prime nesting site for the Giant Leatherback turtle.
• NCST (National Commission for Scheduled Tribes): A constitutional body under Article 338A, holding the power to investigate and intervene when tribal rights (like the FRA) are violated by state projects.

With reference to the Great Nicobar Island and related tribal rights, consider the following statements:

1. Under the rules of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, the quorum for a Gram Sabha meeting requires the attendance of at least 50% of the adult members of the village.
2. The Shompen tribe, natively residing in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is officially classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
3. The Strait of Malacca is situated geographically to the west of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (a)