Fifth Schedule

The Fifth Schedule applies in nine states. But, it has failed to create the desired impact because it has never been applied the way it should have been. PESA (Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act) was supposed to be the logical step in the 5th Scheduled areas. However, it was not properly implemented. Tribal communities have progressively been denied self-government and rights to their communities’ natural resources that should have been provided under the legislation. Similarly, under FRA (Forest Rights Act), it is the state that decides whether a certain forest is denoted as Reserved Forest or Village forest. This classification controls the rights that local communities have on the forests.