Ministry by ministry, India's forest rights regime is fraying

India's Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the Ministry of Power that the Forest Rights Act 2006 requires no gram sabha consent for forest clearance. This contradicts the 2006 Act and a 2013 Supreme Court ruling. The shift reflects ongoing conflict between tribal protection and infrastructure development priorities across government ministries.

The Committee suggested that gram sabha consent "from 70-75% of villages should be made sufficient for large hydropower infrastructure projects of national importance", implying that dissenting gram sabhas could be forced to comply.