DEVELOPMENT VS. DISPLACEMENT: HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS IN LAND ACQUISITION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN INDIA

AUTHOR – HARSHIT VERMA, STUDENT AT LAW COLLEGE DEHRADUN

BEST CITATION – HARSHIT VERMA, DEVELOPMENT VS. DISPLACEMENT: HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS IN LAND ACQUISITION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (8) OF 2025, PG. 428-435, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

In this Article, we take a look at how India’s land acquisition procedures for infrastructure projects are a complicated junction of development goals and human rights issues. Beginning with the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, which was passed during India’s colonial era, the book follows the development of the country’s legal structure all the way up to the groundbreaking Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (LARR) of 2013. The progressive aspects of the LARR Act, such as the need to conduct social impact assessments, get consent, and establish thorough compensation systems, as well as the broader acknowledgement of impacted persons, continue to face substantial hurdles throughout implementation.

Forced displacement of people, destruction of indigenous ways of life and cultural traditions, and insufficient plans for compensation and rehabilitation are some of the serious human rights concerns highlighted in the report. One of the worst development-induced displacement crises in the world is happening in India, where an estimated 50 million people have been displaced since independence. This article examines India’s human rights policy in light of international norms and finds that the country falls far short of its commitments under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The article shows how the court has changed its role in balancing economic needs with human rights safeguards by analysing landmark judicial interventions. Infrastructure development must continue without violating the rights and dignity of impacted communities, especially indigenous and other oppressed groups, according to the study’s findings, which highlight the need for substantial reforms to implementation mechanisms notwithstanding legislative progress.

Key words: (Land acquisition, displacement, human rights, LARR Act, infrastructure development, indigenous communities, rehabilitation)