**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 949 regarding Individual and Community Forest Rights Claims, answered on February 5, 2026. It provides data on the number of claims disposed of, rejected, and titles distributed by States/UTs under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) from January 1, 2023, to January 1, 2026. The document highlights the role of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) in monitoring and ensuring the effective implementation of the FRA.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Implementation Responsibility:** State Governments are responsible for implementing the FRA, with MoTA monitoring progress through Monthly Progress Reports (MPR). The FRA is being implemented in 20 States and 1 UT.
* **Claims Settled:** As of December 31, 2025, a total of 44,33,940 (85.40%) claims have been settled, including 42,56,845 individual and 1,77,095 community claims.
* **Recent Claims Settled:** From January 1, 2023, to January 1, 2026, 4,43,247 claims were settled, including 4,10,135 individual and 33,112 community claims.
* **Claims Rejected:** As of December 31, 2025, a total of 18,90,360 (36.41%) claims have been rejected, including 18,36,594 individual and 53,766 community claims. During the last three years, 1,60,715 claims have been rejected.
* **Reasons for Rejection:** Common reasons for rejection include claims on land not occupied before December 13, 2005, duplicate claims, claims on Non-Forest Land, lack of evidence, and failure to prove three generations of residence.
* **Review of Pending Claims:** MoTA has directed states to review claims in a time-bound manner and provides support to districts by establishing dedicated FRA cells.
* **DC/DM Conference:** A DC/DM National Conference was held in January 2025 to review district-wise progress and request the disposal of pending claims.
* **MoTA's Role:** MoTA issues directions and guidelines to ensure uniform interpretation and effective implementation of the FRA.
* **Safeguards Against Eviction:** The FRA includes provisions to safeguard against eviction. State Governments are advised to ensure the interests of Scheduled Tribes are properly safeguarded.
* **State-wise Data:** Annexure includes the State-wise details of claims filed, titles distributed, rejected, and settled from 01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing various provisions of the Forest Rights Act and for submission of Monthly Progress Reports to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
* **Action Required:** Consider FRA claims in a time-bound manner, engage with districts to resolve bottlenecks, abide by the provisions of the FRA, ensure all eligible claimants are provided the rights, monitor the process of recognition, verification and vesting of forest rights, consider and address the field level problems, and safeguard against eviction.
**Claimants (Individuals and Communities)**
* **Impact:** Impacted by the acceptance or rejection of their forest rights claims. Entitled to appeal rejected claims.
* **Action Required:** Provide necessary evidence to support their claims, understand the grounds for rejection if applicable, and exercise the option to appeal if necessary.
**Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA)**
* **Impact:** Nodal Ministry for monitoring and administering the legislative matters of FRA.
* **Action Required:** Issue directions and guidelines, monitor the implementation of the FRA by the States/UTs, and ensure uniform interpretation and effective implementation of the provisions of the Act.
**District and Subdivision Level Authorities (DC/DM, SDLC, DLC)**
* **Impact:** Directly involved in the implementation and verification of claims at the ground level.
* **Action Required:** Establish dedicated FRA cells, participate in reviews and conferences, dispose of pending FRA claims, and ensure proper recognition, verification, and vesting of forest rights.
Key Entities Referenced
The Scheduled Tribes And Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006: Act that defines and grants forest rights to tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers
Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA): The nodal ministry responsible for the affairs of tribal communities and implementation of the Forest Rights Act
Forest Rights Act (FRA): Also known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, seeks to recognize and vest forest rights and occupation in forest land in forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers
Maharashtra: One of the states reviewed on the status of reviews with special reference to district-wise.
Odisha: One of the states reviewed on the status of reviews with special reference to district-wise.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 949
To Be Answered On- 05/02/2026
INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY FOREST RIGHTS CLAIMS
†949. Shri Rahul Singh Lodhi:
Shri Mahesh Kashyap:
Shri Tapir Gao:
Smt. Himadri Singh:
Shri Bhojraj Nag:
Smt. Smita Uday Wagh:
Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri:
Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat:
Shri Godam Nagesh:
Shri Naba Charan Majhi:
Dr. Rajesh Mishra:
Shri Balabhadra Majhi:
Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the number of individual and community forest rights claims disposed of during the last three years, State-
wise;
(b) the number of claims rejected during the said period and the primary grounds for rejection, along with details
of appeals provided to affected claimants from said areas;
(c) whether district-level committees have been directed to review long-pending or previously rejected claims,
particularly in tribal and forest-dominated districts;
(d) if so, the status of such reviews, State-wise, with special reference to Maharashtra, Telangana and Odisha,
district-wise; and
(e) the role being played by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to ensure uniform interpretation and effective
implementation of the provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) by the States, along with the safeguards in place
to prevent eviction of eligible forest dwellers until the claim process is fully completed?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI DURGA DAS UIKEY)
(a) & (b): 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 all eligible 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:
No. of Titles Distributed Total
No. of Claims filed during
during 01.01.2023 to No. of No. of
S. 01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026
States/UT 01.01.2026 Claims Claims
No.
Rejected Disposed
Individual Community Total Individual Community Total
off
Andhra
1 3,684 0 3,684 8,686 0 8,686 3,040 11,726
Pradesh
2 Assam 32,000 1,501 33,501 27,536 1,098 28,634 16,379 45,013
3 Bihar -3,326 0 -3,326 70 0 70 281 351
4 Chhattisgarh 13,047 6,271 19,318 24,287 6,671 30,958 7,745 38,703
5 Goa 200 10 210 556 6 562 1,248 1,810
6 Gujarat 186 0 186 7,046 195 7,241 -56,966 -49,725
Himachal
7 3,185 589 3,774 754 113 867 8 875
Pradesh
8 Jharkhand 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Karnataka 3,362 78 3,440 572 1 573 15,467 16,040
10 Kerala 566 74 640 1,785 92 1,877 633 2,510
Madhya
11 0 0 0 292 0 292 -292 0
Pradesh
12 Maharashtra 35,218 -778 34,440 34,635 1,584 36,219 127,106 163,325
13 Odisha 102,953 21,347 124,300 9,875 1,646 11,521 4,109 15,630
14 Rajasthan 1,877 2,516 4,393 700 1,958 2,658 2,840 5,498
15 Tamil Nadu -636 466 -170 7,298 616 7,914 3,218 11,132
16 Telangana 447,646 619 448,265 133,301 619 133,920 0 133,920
17 Tripura 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Uttar
18 395 32 427 4,488 32 4,520 -4,025 495
Pradesh
19 Uttarakhand 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 West Bengal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jammu &
21 33,233 12,857 46,090 429 5,591 6,020 39,924 45,944
Kashmir
TOTAL 673,590 45,582 719,172 262,310 20,222 282,532 160,715 443,247
(Certain States reported negative FRA progress during the period but have submitted clarifications and
rectified figures)
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