At the national level, which ministry is the nodal agency to ensure effective implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006?
Explanation
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is designated as the national nodal agency responsible for the overall execution, coordination, and monitoring of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA).
– The Act recognizes individual and community forest rights over ancestral forestlands for forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers.
– While state forest departments and district revenue administrations operate at grassroots tiers, statutory policy formulation, implementation guidelines, and appellate compliance are steered at the Union level by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Therefore, the correct authority is the Ministry of Tribal Affairs — Option D.