(a) Discuss the impact of the Forest Rights Act (2006) on the livelihood and culture of tribal people in India. (20 marks) (b)…

(a) Impact of the Forest Rights Act (2006) on Tribal Livelihood and Culture The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 recognises forest rights of tribals and other traditional dwellers, to correct the "historical injustice" of colonial and post-colonial forest laws. It recognises individual rights over cultivated forest land (up to 4 hectares), community rights, community forest resource (CFR) rights under Section 3(1)(i), rights over minor forest produce, and habitat rights for PVTGs. The Gram Sabha initiates claims through the Forest Rights Committee, and sub-divisional and district-level committees verify them.

Livelihood impact: titles give security of tenure, allowing cultivation and access to credit and schemes. Ownership of minor forest produce (tendu, bamboo, mahua) raises income; the Mendha-Lekha village in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, obtained CFR and sells bamboo. Reduced eviction threat from forest officials, and the Gram Sabha's role in forest management, improve livelihood security among Gond, Baiga, Santhal and Kondh communities.

Cultural impact: recognition of sacred groves and community use strengthens identity, customary resource-governance and the Gram Sabha as an institution. The Supreme Court in the Niyamgiri case (Orissa Mining Corporation v. Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2013) upheld Dongria Kondh Gram Sabhas' religious and cultural rights.

Challenges: about half of the roughly 50 lakh claims were recognised, with many rejected for poor procedure; CFR titles are low, and forest departments resist devolution. Rejections led to the Supreme Court's eviction order in Wildlife First (2019), later stayed. The tension between rights and conservation continues, and tribal groups contest changes to Gram Sabha consent in the Forest Conservation Rules, 2022. Link with PESA, 1996 strengthens Gram Sabha power.

(b) Malnutrition in Tribal India: Factors and Interventions About 40% of ST children under five are stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21), and anaemia affects over half of ST women; these rates exceed national averages.

Factors: poverty and food insecurity, shrinking forest access and shift from diverse millet and forest foods to a rice-dominated diet, seasonal hunger, and remote hamlets with weak Anganwadi, health and PDS reach. Poor sanitation and safe water, high infection burden (malaria, diarrhoea) and genetic anaemias such as sickle cell worsen outcomes. Early marriage, low maternal education and poor maternal care, and gender dimensions, as women eat last, lead to low-birth-weight babies. Micronutrient deficiency causes "hidden hunger". Cultural food taboos and weak awareness add to this, and climate variability reduces forest and farm yields.

Interventions linked to these causes: Poshan 2.0 (ICDS) and PM POSHAN to cover hamlets; PDS and NFSA for staples; millets promotion (Odisha Millets Mission); MGNREGA (now succeeded by the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025) and minor forest produce for incomes; mobile medical units, ASHA workers, and the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (2023); iron-folate supplementation; community-based management of severe acute malnutrition; and PM JANMAN for PVTGs. Tribal-language nutrition messages and local participation improve delivery.

(c) Factors Influencing Fertility in the Indian Population India's TFR was about 2.0 in NFHS-5 (2019-21), below replacement, with wide variation: Bihar (about 3.0) and Meghalaya (about 2.9) are high, while Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are below 2.

Socio-economic factors: female education (fertility falls sharply with schooling), income, urbanisation and women's work.

Cultural factors: age at marriage (about 23% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18, NFHS-5), son preference leading to additional births, norms of large families, and religion and community differences.

Health and demographic factors: infant and child mortality (high mortality leads to replacement births), maternal health, breastfeeding, and access to contraception and family planning services, with contraceptive prevalence of about 67%.

Policy and status: the National Population Policy, 2000 and the family planning programme; women's empowerment and autonomy are strongly linked with lower fertility.

Regional variation: southern states completed the demographic transition early, with high literacy and health indicators, while the northern and central states lag; ST and SC groups, and poorer groups, show higher fertility than the general population.