eBook | What is the Biodiversity Act? And how will it protect intellectual property rights over traditional knowledge?

An Act to provide for conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing This publication contains the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Biological …

Justice, social, economic and political equality for all citizens: Ramachandra Guha on safeguards for minorities, backward and tribal areas enshrined in the Indian Constitution

This essay was first published in the Economic and Political Weekly (August 11, 2007) under the title, “Adivasis, Naxalites, And Indian Democracy” and is republished here with the author’s permission …

What is the Forest Rights Act about? Who is a forest dweller under this law, and who gets rights?

India is home to nearly 20 Cr. [200 million] traditional forest-dwelling Adivasis and OTFDs [other forest dwelling communities], who derive their subsistence and livelihoods from forest and forest resources over …

Environmental history and what makes for a civilization – Romila Thapar

“Many voices of history … are what well known historian Romila Thapar brings out in her works. In this exclusive interview, she talks about changing trends in research, corruption in …

Serving endangered languages, denotified and nomadic Communities: Ganesh Devy on the need for a “sustainable economic and social base in the homeland”

A collection of essays on Adivasis. Tribal groups (adivasis) in India have often been excluded, marginalized and oppressed by ‘mainstream’ society. In many ways this exclusion, marginalization and oppression is …

eBook | “It is possible to finance tribal health care”: Recommendations by the Expert Committee on Tribal Health – Government of India

Though it has long been suspected that tribal people have poor health and unmet needs, health care for tribal people remained subsumed in rural health care. It was assumed that …

Memories of life in a remote Bhil hamlet on the Narmada river: “Poor but not impoverished” – Maharashtra

The Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has been setup under the final orders and decision of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) as a machinery for implementation of its directions and …

Tip | Ten success stories from all over India: Arts and crafts, community service, democracy, education, fashion, film, health, literature, performing arts and women’s achievements

Tip Find up-to-date reports on the above topics in the Indian press by typing “tribal artists”, “women tribal community”, “Adivasi fashion” or similar search terms into the search window seen below