In the areas covered under the Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, what is the role/power of Gram Sabha?
- 1.Gram Sabha has the power to prevent alienation of land in the Scheduled Areas.
- 2.Gram Sabha has the ownership of minor forest produce.
- 3.Recommendation of Gram Sabha is required for granting prospecting licence or mining lease for any mineral in the Scheduled Areas.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only
PESA, 1996 gives the Gram Sabha the power to prevent land alienation and ownership of minor forest produce. Its mandatory recommendation before a prospecting licence or mining lease applies only to minor minerals, not to every mineral. So statement 3 fails, and the answer is 1 and 2 only.
- ✓ 1. Section 4(m)(iii) gives the Gram Sabha and Panchayats the power to prevent alienation of land in the Scheduled Areas. It also lets them take action to restore any unlawfully alienated land of a Scheduled Tribe.
- ✓ 2. Section 4(m)(ii) lists ownership of minor forest produce among the specific powers of the Gram Sabha and Panchayats.
- ✗ 3. Section 4(k) makes the recommendation of the Gram Sabha or Panchayat mandatory only before a prospecting licence or mining lease for minor minerals. It does not cover 'any mineral', so major minerals fall outside it.
Remember · Under PESA 1996, the Gram Sabha owns minor forest produce and can prevent tribal land alienation. Its mining recommendation role covers only minor minerals.
Sources
- The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (Ministry of Tribal Affairs) ↗ “the recommendations of the Gram Sabha or the Panchayats at the appropriate level shall be made mandatory prior to grant of prospecting licence or mining lease for minor minerals in the Scheduled Areas … the power to prevent alienation of land in the Scheduled Areas and to take appropriate action to restore any unlawfully alienated land of a Scheduled Tribe;”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
