New Delhi, March 20 -- Civil society members have raised concerns over the misrepresentation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, ahead of a Supreme Court hearing scheduled for April 2, 2025. The hearing is based on petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Act.

A group of researchers, former forest officials, activists, lawyers and policy experts highlighted issues such as human rights violations, large-scale dispossession, legal setbacks and environmental degradation.

In a press statement, the members said the FRA faced implementation hurdles due to a lack of political will, resistance from the forest bureaucracy, and corporate interests seeking to bypass environmental safeguards.

A recent analysis revealed that only three ...