Between rights and realities: Tribal development and the implementation of the forest rights act in Mayurbhanj District of Odisha
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Forest rights of tribes are indispensable means for their development. The dependency of tribes on forests has ensured their multiple security needs and their identity. The symbiotic relationship between tribes and forests became legalised with the emergence of the FRA Act, 2006 in India. The important aim of this act is to give justice to the victims of ‘historical injustice.’ However, the status of the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, from 2008 to the present day, has not been able to get much applause. Forests, for tribal communities, are not only important from an environmental perspective, but also are significant sources of their social, economic, political, and cultural enrichment. Effective execution of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 will ensure economic rights of tribal community, which is necessary for better livelihood standards for them. The present study has analysed tribal development concept from a rights- based approach, especially the economic rights of tribes. The study area for this work is Mayurbhanj District. Out of the total population of this district, 58.72% are tribal population, and this is the largest district in terms of population in Odisha. It is a kind of reality check of the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 in Mayurbhanj District.
Author: Sudhansu Sekhar Sahoo
Institution: Sambalpur University
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7164006399