This situation paper is a background document that summarizes the diversity, complexity, and relevance of tenure systems, rights, and the institutional management of inland fisheries in India. The paper is prepared on the occasion of the ICSF Workshop on Improving Inland Fisheries Governance in India, held at Seva Kendra, Kolkata, on 6th-7th September 2019, in which the objective was to discuss the draft National Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, Govt. of India, 2019, in relation to the human-rights focus of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Small-Scale Fisheries.