Environmental Legislations

Explore the evolution of environmental policies and laws in India, from traditional practices to modern legislative frameworks. Understand the significance of constitutional provisions, policy deliberations, and international negotiations in shaping sustainable development. Learn about critical issues like pollution control, biodiversity conservation, and climate change strategies, and discover how these elements are vital for ensuring a balanced and healthy environment.

Environmental Legislations

1 Environmental Policy in Pre-Independent India

  1. Traditional Wisdom and Indigenous Practices
  2. The Indian Penal Code, 1860
  3. The Indian Forest Act, 1865
  4. The Indian Forest Act, 1878
  5. Forest Policy, 1894
  6. The Indian Fisheries Act, 1897
  7. The Indian Ports Act, 1908
  8. The Indian Forest Act, 1927

2 Constitutional Provisions

  1. Preamble
  2. Division of Legislative Powers in Environmental Matters
  3. Fundamental Rights
  4. Right to Live in a Healthy Environment
  5. Right to Livelihood and Environment
  6. Right to Know and Environment
  7. Right to Equality and Environment
  8. Freedom of Speech and Expression and Environment
  9. Freedom of Trade and Commerce and Environment
  10. Fundamental Duties
  11. Duties of the State toward Environmental Protection

3 Environmental Policy Deliberations

  1. Pitamber Pant Committee
  2. National Committee on Environmental Planning and Co-ordination (1972)
  3. Tiwari Committee (1980)
  4. National Conservation Strategy (1983-84)
  5. Conservation and Monitoring Bodies

4 Environmental Protection Acts

  1. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
  2. Policy Statement for Abetment of Pollution (1992)
  3. National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and Development (1992)
  4. The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
  5. Mining Policies: National Mineral Policy (1993) and National Mineral Policy (2008)

5 Air and Water Pollution

  1. Air Pollution
  2. Water Pollution
  3. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
  4. National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP)
  5. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
  6. National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP)
  7. Central and State Pollution Control Boards
  8. National Air Quality Index (AQI)

6 Industrial and Noise Pollution

  1. The Factories Act, 1948
  2. Safety in Ports and Docks
  3. Safety in Mines
  4. National Safety Council, 1966
  5. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
  6. The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
  7. Noise Pollution
  8. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

7 Bio-Medical and Solid Waste Pollution

  1. Hazardous Waste Management Rules
  2. Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules
  3. Solid Waste Management Rules
  4. The Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998

8 General Laws and Programmes for Environmental Protection

  1. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
  2. Essential Commodities Act, 1955
  3. Insecticide Act, 1968
  4. Fertilizer Control Order, 1985
  5. Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
  6. National Health Policy, 2002
  7. National Rural Health Mission
  8. National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme
  9. National Tobacco Control Programme
  10. National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis
  11. National Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control Programme
  12. Plant Quarantine and Animal Quarantine
  13. Environmental Labels
  14. Ecomark

9 Forest

  1. The National Forest Policy, 1952
  2. The National Forest Policy, 1988
  3. The Forest Conservation Act, 1980
  4. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006

10 Wildlife

  1. Wildlife Conservation
  2. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
  3. The Wildlife (Protection) Rules, 1995

11 Biodiversity

  1. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  2. National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
  3. State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs)
  4. Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs)
  5. Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS)

12 Conservation of Water Bodies

  1. National River Conservation Plan
  2. Ganga Action Plan Phase-I (GAP-I)
  3. Ganga Action Plan Phase-II (GAP-II)
  4. National Mission for Clean Ganga
  5. Ganga Knowledge Centre
  6. National Lake Conservation Plan
  7. Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010
  8. Coastal Zone Regulation

13 International Environmental Negotiations

  1. United Nations Conference on Human Environment, 1972
  2. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, 1992
  3. Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992
  4. The World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002

14 Habitat and Trade

  1. The Antarctic Treaty, 1959
  2. The Ramsar Convention, 1971
  3. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
  4. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)
  5. The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals
  6. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982

15 Climate Change Policy

  1. History of Climate Change Debate
  2. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
  3. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  4. Kyoto Protocol
  5. Paris Agreement
  6. India’s Response Framework
  7. National Action Plan on Climate Change
  8. State Governments’ Efforts to Address Climate Change

16 Biosafety

  1. The Basel Convention, 1989
  2. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 2003
  3. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, 2004
  4. The Rotterdam Convention, 2004