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RAS question

ASSERTION (A): The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA 2006) recognises both individual forest rights and community forest rights of tribal communities. REASON (R): Community Forest Rights under FRA 2006 allow gram sabhas to protect, manage, and govern community forest resources within their traditional boundaries, empowering local tribal governance. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Correct answer: (A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

Under FRA 2006, both the assertion and the reason are true: the Act recognises individual as well as community forest rights, and community forest rights explain how gram sabhas can protect and manage community forest resources.

  1. (A)

    Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

  2. (B)

    Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A

  3. (C)

    A is true, but R is false

  4. (D)

    A is false, but R is true

Explanation

FRA 2006 recognises forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribe communities and other traditional forest dwellers as rights-holders over forest resources linked to livelihood, habitation and socio-cultural needs. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs explains that the Act covers individual rights such as self-cultivation and habitation, along with community rights such as grazing, fishing, water-body access, traditional customary rights and the right to protect, regenerate, conserve or manage community forest resources for sustainable use. That is why the reason correctly explains the assertion: Community Forest Rights are not a separate welfare scheme, but one of the recognised rights under the Act. The Act also gives the Gram Sabha and rights holders conservation responsibilities and a decisive role in local decisions affecting tribal communities.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (B) Option B is wrong because the reason is not merely another true statement; it directly explains the community-rights part of the assertion by describing Gram Sabha-led protection and management of community forest resources.
  • (C) Option C is wrong because the reason is true: the Act places conservation and protection responsibilities on the Gram Sabha and rights holders and recognises the right to protect, conserve and manage community forest resources.
  • (D) Option D is wrong because the assertion is true: FRA 2006 covers both individual rights, including self-cultivation and habitation, and community rights over forest resources.

Concept

This tests FRA 2006 within tribal governance and forest-resource management, a recurring RAS theme because Rajasthan's tribal belts make community resource rights central to geography, polity and welfare questions.

Source

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