UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs released State of the world’s indigenous peoples: Rights to Land, territories and resources report according to which recognition and protection of land titles and tenure of indigenous people is crucial to attaining SDGs to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030. Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment . They have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Indigenous peoples in India comprise an estimated population of 104 million or 8.6% of the national population, almost 90% of them living in rural areas. 705 ethnic groups notified as Scheduled Tribes (STs) spread across 30 States or Union Territories, these are considered to be India’s indigenous peoples that includes 75 identified PVTGs. Inherent rights of indigenous p...