This paper reviews the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and the role of institutions in land governance and its acquisition. It emphasizes the impact of land acquisition on rural households having relatively low income and the environment in the light of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper establishes a relationship between land governance, the socio-economic development of rural communities and environmental sustainability. Social impact assessment, a key factor of the act, aims to identify the positive and negative social impacts of the proposed project. Section 4 of the act requires that a social impact assessment be carried out before initiating land acquisition notifications. This paper reviews the implementation of the act in rural areas and its impact on rural households. It critically analyses the role of governmental and nongovernmental organizations in ensuring social justice in the context of the act. Inferences are based on both primary and secondary data and focus on various aspects of the act with relation to land governance and integrated development.
