The recognized rights of the forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers, basically are focused towards strengthening the conservation regime of the forests on one hand and simultaneously ensuring livelihood and food security of the above by way of giving right to ownership of the forestland inhabited by them since ages.

The forest rights implicitly stated in the Act have been outlined as follows: -

Rights of settlement and conversion of all forest villages, old habitation, un-surveyed villages and other villages in forest, whether recorded, notified or not into revenue villages.

Right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.

Right of access to biodiversity and community right to intellectual property and

traditional knowledge related to biodiversity and cultural diversity. Right to in situ rehabilitation including alternative land in cases where the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers have been illegally evicted or displaced from forest land of any description without receiving their legal entitlement to rehabilitation prior to the 13th of December, 2005.

Right to hold and live in the forestland under the individual or common occupation for habitation or self-cultivation for livelihood by a member or members of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribe or other traditional forest dwellers.

Community rights such as nistar, use or entitlements such as fish and other products of water bodies, grazing (both settled or transhumance-the practice of moving animals to different fields in different seasons, for example to higher fields in summer and lower fields in winter) and traditional seasonal resource access of nomadic or pastoralist communities.

Right to ownership, access to collect, use and dispose of minor forest produce which has been traditionally collected within or outside village boundaries.

Rights including community tenures of habitat and habitation for primitive tribal groups and pre-agricultural communities.

Rights in or over disputed lands under any nomenclature in any State where claims are disputed.

Rights for conversion of Pattas or leases or grants issued by any local authority or any State Government on forestlands to titles.

Any other traditional right customarily enjoyed by the forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes or other traditional forest dwellers, as the case may be, which are not mentioned in the above clauses but excluding the traditional right of hunting or trapping or extracting a part of the body of any species of wild animal.

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the Central Government shall provide for diversion of forest land for the following facilities managed by the Government which involve felling of trees not exceeding 75 trees per hectare, namely :-

Schools
Dispensary or hospital
Anganwadis
Fair price shops
Electric and telecommunication lines
Tanks and other minor water bodies
Drinking water supply and water pipelines
Water or rainwater harvesting structures.
Minor irrigation canales
Non-conventional source of energy
Skill upgradation or vocational training centers
Roads
Community centers

Provided that such diversion of forestland shall be allowed only if,

The forest land to be diverted for the purposes mentioned above is less than one hectare in each case; and

The clearance of such developmental projects shall be subject to the condition that the same is recommended by the Gram Sabha