Shoubhit Daftuar* INTRODUCTION The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908  (“ CNT ”) and Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act, 1949 , ( “SPT” ) have gained prominence over the years not just as mere policy instruments but as constitutional bulwarks designed to protect tribal communities’ ancestral land, cultural identity, and autonomous governance. These Acts restrict land alienation to non-tribals and embody constitutional protections under the Fifth Schedule , alongside the framework of tri