Policy Challenges 2019-2024: Regulation and Resources
Publisher: Centre for Policy Research
Author(s): Namita Wahl, Philippe Cullet, Shyam Saran, and Ananth Padmanabhan
Topics: Conflict Causes, Dispute Resolution/Mediation, Governance, Land, Livelihoods, Renewable Resources
Countries: India
An estimated 7.7 million people in India are affected by conflict over 2.5 million hectares of land, threatening investments worth $ 200 billion.1 Land disputes clog all levels of courts in India, and account for the largest set of cases in terms of both absolute numbers and judicial pendency. About 25% of all cases decided by the Supreme Court involve land disputes, of which 30% concern disputes relating to land acquisition.2 Again, 66% of all civil cases in India are related to land/property disputes.3 The average pendency of a land acquisition dispute, from creation of the dispute to resolution by the Supreme Court, is 20 years.4 Since land is central to India’s developmental trajectory, finding a solution to land conflict is one of the foremost policy challenges for India.