Centre directs states to stop forced eviction of forest dwellers until rights are settled
New Delhi: The Union government has urged all states and union territories to ensure that no tribal or forest-dwelling group be forcibly removed from wildlife sanctuaries or national parks, until their rights are recognised and settled under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006.
The New Indian Express mentioned in a report, a letter dated October 22, Vibhu Nayar, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), directed Chief Secretaries to strictly follow the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The letter also stated that the ministry was concerned about the Act's delayed implementation, more than two decades after its enactment.
The letter also identified 12 priority areas for accelerating the registration of forest rights. These topics include Individual Forest Rights (IFRs), Habitat Rights for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), Community Forest Rights (CFRs), and Community Forest Resource Rights. The Centre used Section 4(2) of the FRA to remind states that "no member of the Scheduled Tribes or other traditional forest dwellers shall be evicted or removed from forest land under his tenancy until the recognition and verification procedure is completed."
The letter urged authorities to prevent all forms of forced displacement until rights are settled and resettlement plans are completed. It also called for adjustments to forest land records to ensure that the rightful beneficiaries can utilize government schemes, warning that inconsistencies could lead to disputes between the forest and tax departments. However, it clarified that such corrections are administrative and must not be used to reject pending or new claims.
The ministry further emphasised that claims under the FRA should be evaluated primarily through field verification rather than technological data. “Inputs such as satellite imagery or GIS mapping should only serve as supplementary tools,” the letter stated, noting that Section 12 of the Act requires decisions to be based on ground evidence.
Highlighting successful models from Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, the ministry urged states to adopt similar practices such as creating FRA Atlases and district-level action plans to identify potential CFR areas.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
