Which of the following statements relating to the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 are correct?
- 1The Act recognizes forest rights of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes who have been occupying the forest land before October 25, 1980
- 2The onus of implementation of the Act lies at the level of the State / UT Governments
- 3The Act seeks to recognize and vest certain forest rights in the forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A1 and 2 only
- B2 and 3 only
- C1 and 3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Explanation
The official UPSC answer key holds all three statements correct, option (D): the Act vests forest rights in forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (3), and its implementation machinery - Gram Sabhas, Sub-Divisional and District Level Committees - operates under the State/UT Governments (2). On statement (1), note the nuance: the October 25, 1980 cut-off appeared in the 2005 Bill and echoes the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; the enacted 2006 Act's operative cut-off for occupation is 13 December 2005 (with 'other traditional forest dwellers' needing three generations, i.e. 75 years, of residence before that date). The question follows the 1980 dating and the official key treats it as correct.