NCST chairman Chouhan resigns eight months before end of term

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

NCST) chairman and a social rights activist Harsh Chouhan resigned with eight months left for his term to end. This has left the tribal rights body headless and functioning with a lone member. Chouhan, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, resigned on June 26 and his resignation was accepted by President of India last week.

He had been appointed as NCST chairman in February 2021 for a three-year term. The resignation follows a run-in with the environment ministry in October 2022. Chouhan had written to environment ministry red-flagging the new Forest Conservation Rules 2022 and said they violated the Forest Rights Act, 2006, by giving primacy to project clearance.

He had asked the environment ministry to keep the rules in abeyance and «reinstate, strengthen and strictly monitor» the implementation of Rules 2017 to grant the FRA rights to STs. However, the environment ministry had stuck to its stand. In January, as the environment ministry dismissed the concerns raised by Chouhan, he had said that the commission's position on the new rules being violative of the Forest Rights Act will remain the same.

Chouhan has worked extensively for tribals in Madhya Pradesh. He has been associated with Sangh bodies including Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. With Chouhan's resignation, NCST is left with just one member Ananta Nayak.