Resource information
This manual has been prepared under the auspices of the Government of India and UNDP project on "Access to Justice for Marginalized People." The simplified user manual aims to raise awareness of two crucial legislative acts which together expand the legal rights of some
of India's most marginalized tribal communities. The manual includes sections on the 1996 Panchayat Extension to the Scheduled Areas Act,known as PESA, which sets the conditions for tribal populations to become part of the formal system of local governance while retaining features of their customary law and social practices. The manual also contains sections on the 2006 Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act. Known as FRA, this landmark legislation provides the basis for the restitution of individual rights to cultivated areas in forestlands as well as community rights over common resources. As a global institution that provides technical assistance programmes in 100 countries aimed at increasing access to justice and strengthening the capacity of justice delivery institutions, UNDP recognizes that special initiatives are required to reach marginalized and persistently excluded communities.
