Environment & Ecology·Environmental Cases

Forest Rights Act 2006 — Environmental Cases

Updated 9 Mar 2026

Environmental Cases

Niyamgiri Hills Mining Case (Orissa Mining Corporation Ltd. v. Ministry of Environment & Forest, 2013)

2013

This case is a landmark for the Forest Rights Act as it unequivocally upheld the power of the Gram Sabha in deciding the fate of development projects on their traditional lands.…

T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India (1996 onwards)

1996

While not directly an FRA case, the Godavarman judgment, which imposed a blanket ban on non-forest activities in forest areas without prior approval, created a legal vacuum that…

Supreme Court Order on Evictions (2019) and Subsequent Stay

2019

In February 2019, the Supreme Court, acting on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the FRA, ordered the eviction of an estimated 1.9 million forest dwellers…