Habitat Rights

Why in news?

• The Baiga Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Chhattisgarh has been granted habitat rights, making it only the third PVTG to receive such rights.
• Out of 75 PVTG in India, only three have habitat rights.The Bharia PVTG in Madhya Pradesh was the first, followed by the Kamar tribe and now the Baiga tribe in Chhattisgarh.

About Habitat Rights

• Habitat rights are given to tribes under The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 also known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA).  
• Habitat rights are a form of recognition that grants a community certain rights and control over their traditional living areas, cultural practices, economic activities, ecological knowledge, and natural resources. 
• These rights protect and support the community’s traditional ways of life and ecological wisdom passed down through generations.
• They also help converge different government schemes and initiatives from various departments to empower PVTG communities to develop their habitats.
• The habitat rights title may not be an ownership title in the nature of a private property owner, but consent and consultation of the gram sabha will be needed for any developmental activity.

About PVTGs

• PVTGs are a sub-classification of Scheduled Tribes in India. They are considered more vulnerable than regular Scheduled Tribes. 
• PVTGs are characterized by:
  • Declining or stagnant population
  • Low level of literacy
  • Pre-agricultural level of technology
  • Economic backwardness
• The Government of India renamed Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as PVTGs in 2006. The Dhebar Commission created the PTG category in 1973.
• There are 75 PVTGs in India and the most number of PVTGs are in Odisha with 13 PVTGs.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding PVTGs:

1. All of India’s PVTGs have got habitat rights under Forest Rights Act, 2006.
2. Madhya Pradesh host the most number of different PVTG communities in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer