Jharkhand's PESA Rules Spark Debate

The Jharkhand government recently approved new rules for the PESA Act, which is supposed to help tribal communities govern themselves.

But both the opposition BJP and some tribal groups are upset.

They say the new rules weaken the power of local tribal councils called gram sabhas.

The government says the rules actually strengthen these councils.

This disagreement shows how hard it is to balance modern laws with traditional tribal governance.

Critics say the rules give too much power to the district administration, while the government says the rules finally provide a clear legal framework for gram sabhas.

Some tribal leaders are also concerned about how the rules will work in practice.