Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas: Centre to put forest rights claims online on 15 November

Tribal families waiting on forest land claims are due to get a single online system on Sunday, 15 November, when the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs marks Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda. The new National FRA Digital Platform is meant to carry a claim filed under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, all the way from the Gram Sabha to a digitally signed title, the ministry said.

The launch closes a fortnight of events that began on 1 November. More than 300 projects meant for tribal communities will be taken up across the states on the day: 228 are ready to be inaugurated, and 74 will have foundation stones laid. A second portal, Jan-HIT, built with the Indian Council of Medical Research, will hold health data broken down tribe by tribe for 20 states.

A long queue in Telangana

Figures the Telangana government supplied for a Rajya Sabha reply on 11 February 2026 show that, as of 31 December 2025, it had granted 2,31,456 titles across 29 districts, 2,30,735 of them individual and 721 community. Another 3,29,367 claims were still awaiting a decision. Bhadradri Kothagudem alone had received 1,39,691 claims and issued 68,387 titles, with 46,244 pending.

Andhra Pradesh features in the state programme. Tribal research institutes have lined up over 160 activities across 19 states and union territories, and Andhra Pradesh is staging a tribal carnival across the state, one of the highlights the ministry lists. Hyderabad hosted a conclave on 1 and 2 November at which about 1,500 traditional healers, drawn from 9 states and union territories, were trained. The programme aims to train 1 lakh healers and certify them.

Forest produce and Van Dhan centres

A government backgrounder issued on 14 November says that for many of the country’s 10.4 crore Scheduled Tribe members, 20 to 40% of what they earn in a year comes from minor forest produce such as honey, tamarind and tendu leaves. Under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission, 4,172 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been sanctioned. Of these, 2,911 were working as of 31 July 2026, with sales of about Rs 168 crore. The centres have 12.48 lakh tribal people on their rolls, and minimum support prices have been notified for 87 forest produce items.

The Centre designated 15 November in 2021 as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, and the main event has since been held at Ranchi, Khunti, Jamui and Dediapada. Ahead of Sunday, the Rani Durgavati Adivasi Mahila Sammelan on Saturday, 14 November, is bringing together 500 women entrepreneurs from tribal communities in 30 states and union territories to find markets for their goods.