The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change in June 2022, notified the Forest (Conservation) Rules 2022, which prescribed the mechanism for the diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes. 

New Rules omitted a clause (present in 2014 and 2017 Rules) that required any proposal to mandatorily have the consent of local tribespeople and other traditional forest dwellers of the area, before proceeding for Stage 1 clearance (approval of central government). 

This was pointed out by National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) highlighting violations of rights like pushing the State and Union Territory governments for diversion of forest land at the earliest and unfair FRA compliance reports. 

NCST says the requirement for consent and recognition of rights prior to stage 1 clearance provided a legal space for the completion of the process for recognition of rights under FRA.

For further reading about forest conservation rules - click here