**Executive Summary**
This document reports on the status of Individual and Community Forest Rights (FRA) claims across 20 States and 1 Union Territory as of December 31, 2025. It details the number of claims settled, rejected, and the grounds for rejection, with data spanning the period from January 1, 2023, to January 1, 2026. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has urged State Governments to expedite the claims process, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure uniform and effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Claims Status (as of 31.12.2025):**
* Total claims settled: 44,33,940 (85.40%) comprising 42,56,845 individual and 1,77,095 community claims.
* Total claims rejected: 18,90,360 (36.41%) comprising 18,36,594 individual and 53,766 community claims.
* **Claims Settled (from 01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026):**
* Total claims settled: 4,43,247 comprising 4,10,135 individual and 33,112 community claims.
* **Claims Rejected (from 01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026):**
* Total claims rejected: 1,60,715.
* **Grounds for Rejection:**
* Claimed land not occupied before 13th December 2005.
* Duplicate claims filed on the same land.
* Claims on Non-Forest Land.
* Lack of evidence.
* OTFD could not prove 3 generations of residence.
* **MoTA Initiatives:**
* Urged States to consider claims under FRA in a time-bound manner.
* Provided support to districts by setting up dedicated FRA cells at the State and District/Subdivision levels, for a period of two years.
* Conducted a DC/DM National Conference in January 2025 to review FRA implementation.
* Issued directions and guidelines to ensure uniform interpretation and effective implementation of the FRA.
* Urged all State Governments to abide by the provisions contained in the FRA.
* **State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC):**
* MoTA asked States to have SLMC meetings, chaired by Chief Secretary, at least once in three months to monitor recognition, verification and vesting of forest rights, consider and address field level problems.
* **Safeguards Against Eviction:**
* FRA provides provisions for safeguards against eviction.
* FRA provides provision of petition by the aggrieved to SDLC and DLC.
* **Data Annexure:**
* Contains state-wise details of claims filed, titles distributed, rejected and settled claims during the period 01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments**
* **Impact:** Required to implement the provisions of the FRA, expedite the claims process, address bottlenecks, and ensure uniform interpretation of the Act.
* **Action Required:** Consider claims in a time-bound manner, engage with districts to resolve bottlenecks, abide by the provisions of the FRA, safeguard the interests of the Scheduled Tribes, and convene SLMC meetings regularly.
**District Collectors/District Magistrates (DC/DMs)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing the FRA at the district level and disposing of pending FRA claims.
* **Action Required:** Expedite the disposal of pending FRA claims and participate in review meetings.
**Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (STs/OTFDs)**
* **Impact:** Their rights to forest resources are recognized and protected under the FRA.
* **Action Required:** Provide necessary evidence to support their claims, and pursue available remedies (petitioning SDLC and DLC) if aggrieved by the rejection of their claims.
Key Entities Referenced
The Scheduled Tribes And Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006: The core legislation discussed in the document, which defines the rights of tribal communities and traditional forest dwellers.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA): The central ministry responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the Forest Rights Act.
States/UTs: Locations where the Forest Rights Act implementation is being monitored and reported.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY FOREST RIGHTS
CLAIMS
Posted On: 05 FEB 2026 2:18PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed Lok Sabha today that as per
the provisions of ‘The Scheduled Tribes And Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest
Rights) Act, 2006’ and Rules made thereunder, the State Governments are responsible for
implementation of various provisions of the Act and are being implemented in 20 States and 1 UT.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) monitors the Monthly Progress Reports (MPR) submitted by
States/UTs.
As per the latest information reported by the States and collated under MPR as on 31.12.2025, a total of
44,33,940 (85.40%) claims have been settled (decision taken), comprising 42,56,845 individuals and
1,77,095 community claims. Further, during the last three years, i.e. from 01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026, a
total of 4,43,247 claims have been settled (decision taken), comprising 4,10,135 individual and
33,112 community claims. A statement showing state wise details of claims settled along with details of
claims filed, titles distributed and claims rejected during the last three years is at Annexure.
As reported by States/UTs, cumulatively till 31st December 2025, a total of 18,90,360 (36.41%) claims
have been rejected, comprising 18,36,594 individual and 53,766 community claims. And during the
last three years, a total of 1,60,715 claims have been rejected.
Based on the information received from the State Governments of Odisha, Karnataka, West Bengal, the
primary grounds for rejection of claims are - claimed land not occupied before 13th December 2005,
duplicate claims filed on the same land, claims on Non-Forest Land, lack of evidence, OTFD could not
prove 3 generations of residence, etc. Further, the State Government and UT Administration have not
provided information on Appeals on claims.
(c) & (d): Ministry of Tribal Affairs has asked states in various review meetings and through letters to
consider the claims under FRA in a time bound manner and engage with districts to resolve bottlenecks,
if any, in settling of claims. Further, to enhance the comprehensive implementation of the FRA, MoTA
has been providing support to the districts by setting up dedicated FRA cells at the State and District/
Subdivision levels, for a period of two years. Further, a DC/DM National Conference was held in
January, 2025, where DC/DMs of 87 districts (including those from Maharashtra, Telangana and
Odisha), officials from States/Line Ministries participated. The district wise progress of FRA
implementation was reviewed and participant DM/DC were requested to dispose of all pending FRA
Claims.
(e): The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, being the Nodal Ministry for Monitoring and administering the
legislative matters of FRA, by exercising power under Section 12 of the Act, has been issuing directions
and guidelines from time to time on various aspects to ensure uniform interpretation and effective
implementation of the provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) by the States. The Ministry has been
exhorting all State Governments to abide by the provisions contained in the FRA and ensure that alleligible claimants are provided the rights which are due to them. MoTA has asked states in various
review meetings and through letters to inter alia have the meetings of the State Level Monitoring
Committee (SLMC), to be chaired by Chief Secretary, at least once in three months, to monitor the
process of recognition, verification and vesting of forest rights, consider and address the field level
problems.
Further, the FRA provides provisions for a safeguard against eviction through the provisions contained in
Section 4(5) and also provision of petition by the aggrieved to SDLC and DLC (Section 6(2) and 6(4)).
State Governments have been advised to ensure that the interests of the Scheduled Tribes are properly
safeguarded in accordance with constitutional provisions and various laws designed to provide
safeguards for the STs.
Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 949 to be
answered On- 05.02.2026 regarding “Individual and Community Forest Rights Claims”:
State wise details of claims filed, titles distributed, rejected and settled claims during last three
years period (01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026), as per information received from States/ UT:
S. States/UT No. of Claims filed during 01.01.2023 No. of Titles Distributed during
No. to 01.01.2026 01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026
Individual Community Total Individual Community To
1 Andhra 3,684 0 3,684 8,686 0 8,6
Pradesh
2 Assam 32,000 1,501 33,501 27,536 1,098 28,6
3 Bihar -3,326 0 -3,326 70 0 7
4 Chhattisgarh 13,047 6,271 19,318 24,287 6,671 30,9
5 Goa 200 10 210 556 6 56
6 Gujarat 186 0 186 7,046 195 7,2
7 Himachal 3,185 589 3,774 754 113 86
Pradesh
8 Jharkhand 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Karnataka 3,362 78 3,440 572 1 57
10 Kerala 566 74 640 1,785 92 1,811 Madhya 0 0 0 292 0 29
Pradesh
12 Maharashtra 35,218 -778 34,440 34,635 1,584 36,2
13 Odisha 102,953 21,347 124,300 9,875 1,646 11,5
14 Rajasthan 1,877 2,516 4,393 700 1,958 2,6
15 Tamil Nadu -636 466 -170 7,298 616 7,9
16 Telangana 447,646 619 448,265 133,301 619 133,
17 Tripura 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 Uttar 395 32 427 4,488 32 4,5
Pradesh
19 Uttarakhand 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 West Bengal 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 Jammu & 33,233 12,857 46,090 429 5,591 6,0
Kashmir
TOTAL 673,590 45,582 719,172 262,310 20,222 282,
(Certain States reported negative FRA progress during the period but have submitted clarifications and
rectified figures)
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