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• Environmental Protection Essay

Essay on Environmental Protection

Environmental protection is improving, defending, and maintaining the quality of the environment. The main methods of environmental protection are recycling, reusing, and reducing; however, some other methods such as Green Energy production, green transportation development, and eco-friendly industrialization also exist. Not only residents but also businesses and industries should play their basic roles to improve the environment.

The History of Environmental Protection  

Humankind has always been concerned about the environment. The ancient Greeks were the first to develop environmental philosophy, and they were followed by other major civilizations such as India and China. In more recent times, the concern for the environment has increased because of growing awareness of the ecological crisis. The Club of Rome, a think tank, was among the first to warn the world about the dangers of overpopulation and pollution in its report "The Limits to Growth" (1972).

In the early days of environmentalism, people thought that the best way to protect nature was to set aside areas where humans would not disturb the environment. This approach, which is known as preservation, was given a major boost in the United States with the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916.

The modern environmental movement began in the 1960s when concerns about the negative impact of humans on the environment began to increase. In response to these concerns, governments around the world began to pass legislation to protect the environment. In the United States, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970.

The Principles of Environmental Protection

There are three fundamental principles of environmental protection:

The precautionary principle: This principle states that if an activity has the potential to cause harm to the environment, then steps should be taken to prevent that harm even if there is no clear evidence that the activity is damaging.

The polluter pays principle: This states that the party responsible for causing pollution should be held responsible for cleaning it up.

The public right to know the principle: This principle states that the public has a right to know about any potential threats to the environment and what is being done to address them.

The goals of Environmental Protection

There are three main goals of environmental protection:

To protect human health: This is the most important goal of environmental protection because humans cannot survive without a healthy environment.

To protect ecosystems: Ecosystems are the foundation of life on Earth, and they provide many benefits to humans, such as clean air and water, food, and fiber.

To promote sustainable development: Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Environmental protection is a practice that aims to protect the natural environment from the hands of individuals, organizations, and governments. It is the need of the hour because the Earth's environment is deteriorating every day, and the reasons are human beings. They are mishandling the Earth's environment to fulfill their needs. If it goes like this, then it is difficult to say that the future generation will have a safer environment to live in. Through this essay, you will learn the importance of environmental protection.

A Long Essay on Environmental Protection

It is imperative to protect our natural environment from deteriorating, and the only way to do that is through environmental protection. This process should be adopted by every country as soon as possible before it is too late. The objective of this process is to conserve all the natural resources and try to repair some parts of the environment that are possible to get repaired. The biophysical environment is getting degraded permanently because of overconsumption, population growth, and the rapid development of technology. This can be stopped if the government plan strategies to restrict these activities to perform in a controlled way. This environmental protection essay can be a great help for the students to understand the environment they are living in.

Voluntary Environmental Agreements

Voluntary environmental agreements are getting popular in most industrial countries. Through this free essay on environmental protection, one will learn more about this type of agreement. These agreements provide the companies with a platform where they are recognized if they are moving beyond the minimum regulatory standards for protecting the environment. These agreements support the development of one of the best environmental practices. For example, the India Environment Improvement Trust (EIT) has been working in this environment field since the year 1998. Through this environmental protection essay, one is getting so much to learn.

Ecosystems Approach

An ecosystem approach to environmental protection aims to consider the complex interrelationships of the ecosystem as a whole to the process of decision making rather than just focusing on specific issues and challenges. The environmental protection essay writing will give a more precise overview of this approach. The ecosystems approach aims to support the better transferring of information, develop strategies that can resolve conflicts, and improve regional conservation. This approach has played a major role in protecting the environment. This approach also says that religions also play an important role in the conservation of the environment.

International Environmental Agreements

In the present scenario, many of the Earth's natural resources have become vulnerable because of humans and their carelessness towards the environment across different countries. As a result of this, many countries and their governments have come into different agreements to reduce the human impact on the natural environment and protect it from getting deterioration. Through this environmental protection essay in English, one will get a much clearer view on this matter particularly.

The agreements made between different governments of various countries are known as International Environmental Agreements. This agreement includes factors such as climate, oceans, rivers, and air pollution. These agreements are sometimes legally bound, and in case they are not followed, it may lead to some legal implications. These agreements have a long history with some multinational agreements that were made in the year 1910 in Europe, America, and Africa. Some of the most well-known international agreements are the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Through this environmental protection essay, it is clear that governments are taking steps to solve the environmental issue, but it is not enough.

A Short Paragraph on Environmental Protection in English

Earth is a beautiful place to live in, with the most favorable environmental conditions for living beings. But we humans are making it vulnerable and are destroying our own homes with activities that are causing pollution at an increased rate. In this protecting the environment essay, 200 words will be explained properly on how to save the environment.

Environmental protection has become the need of the hour as it is getting destroyed each day. So, governments are making policies and are coming into agreements with other countries to come up with strategies that can protect the environment. Some companies also have the same aim of protecting the environment from the activities of humans.

In this short article on environmental protection, it is clear that if sudden steps are not taken then, our future generation will have to live in a polluted environment that is conserved very conserve difficult. Environmental protection is the key to a safe and secure future with a beautiful environment to live in. 

With pollution increasing each year and causing deterioration of the natural environment, it has become necessary to take steps to protect the natural environment. As we know that the reason for all these problems is humans, governments should make policies to restrict their activities that are causing harm to the environment. If they are not stopped urgently, then the world might see some catastrophic destruction in the coming years. For example, climate change has been a huge problem, and this is one of the causes of increased pollution. A secured future depends on the environment as a whole.

FAQs on Environmental Protection Essay

1. What are International Environmental Agreements?

International environmental agreements are legal contracts between countries that discuss the protection of the environment to provide better living to present and future generations. These include issues such as climate, oceans, rivers, air pollution, etc. we should always consider that if we harm our environment, then it can affect us as well, and we will become more vulnerable. If we do not take action now, it might get a lot worse. We need to be the generation that starts taking care of our planet and future generations!

2. What is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is one of the most well-known and successful international environmental agreements that has been made in the past to protect the environment. This agreement between countries was made to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases which are causing damage to the ozone layer and climate change. With the help of Kyoto, protocol countries have reduced emission rates by 8% and are planning to reduce them more so that future generations can live in a healthy environment in which they can flourish.

3. What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement was made in 2015 to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and to stop climate change. This agreement is very important as it includes every country in the world, and all have agreed to work together to stop climate change. This is a huge step forward as it means that everyone is now working together to try to save our planet. If we try to solve these problems together, then we will have a chance to save our planet.

4. What is the Green Climate Fund?

The Green Climate Fund comes from an agreement made in 2010 to provide money for developing countries that are going through issues such as deforestation and air pollution by making them more sustainable. This fund has a goal of collecting 100 billion dollars by 2020 for supporting developing countries. If this can happen, then many lives can be saved, and we will be able to see a lot of positive changes in the coming years and decades so that we can see an improved environment.

5. What are some activities that harm the Environment?

Some activities that harm the environment include burning fossil fuels, deforestation, air pollution, and wastewater discharge. These activities harm not only the environment but also humans, and we must take action now to reduce the impact which we are causing. For example, the burning of fossil fuels is one of the main reasons for climate change and air pollution, which both have a huge impact on humans. If we stop these activities, then it will be a lot better for everyone!

6. How can we protect the Environment?

Environmental protection is very much required in today's time. Some of the ways to protect the environment are to reduce, reuse, recycle, conserve water, save electricity, clean up the community, educate people on pollution, conserve water, preserve soil, tree plantation, use long-lasting bulbs, and plant trees. Heaven these are the ways which help us to protect the environment from getting polluted.

7.  Why is Environmental Protection Important?

The ecosystem in which we live provides the natural services that are very much important to humans and other species for health, quality of life, and survival. So to protect that, environmental protection is very important. Hence, governments of various countries should make strategies to protect our natural environment from getting polluted.

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Table of Contents

Introduction to environmental laws and policies.

In a world grappling with the repercussions of climate change and environmental degradation, it’s imperative to understand the role of environmental laws and policies in India. This article explores India’s commitment to preserving its natural resources and fostering sustainable development through an array of regulations and initiatives.

The Evolution of Environmental Laws and Policies

India’s journey towards formulating comprehensive environmental laws began in the early 1970s. The urgency to address environmental issues gained prominence during the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972. This landmark event laid the foundation for India’s environmental policy framework.

The Environmental Protection Act, 1986

One of the pivotal moments in India’s environmental legislation was the enactment of the Environmental Protection Act in 1986. This act empowered the central government to take necessary measures to safeguard and improve the environment.

Key Environmental Policies

India’s approach to environmental protection is rooted in several key policies and strategies, aiming to strike a balance between economic growth and ecological preservation.

National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)

India’s NAPCC, launched in 2008, outlines a comprehensive strategy to combat climate change while promoting sustainable development. It consists of eight national missions, each targeting specific climate-related challenges.

Forest Rights Act, 2006

Recognizing the importance of tribal communities in conserving forests, this act grants legal rights to forest dwellers over the land they have inhabited for generations. It not only protects forests but also empowers marginalized communities.

The National Action Plan on Climate Change, launched in 2008, is a pivotal policy document that outlines India’s comprehensive strategy to combat climate change while simultaneously promoting sustainable development. It comprises eight national missions, each targeting specific climate-related challenges:

National Solar Mission

India’s National Solar Mission aims to promote the development and deployment of solar energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy security.

National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency

This mission focuses on improving energy efficiency in various sectors, including industries, transportation, and agriculture, to reduce energy consumption and mitigate climate change.

National Water Mission

The National Water Mission addresses water-related issues, such as water conservation, efficient water use, and sustainable management of water resources, to ensure water availability for all.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

This mission seeks to promote climate-resilient agricultural practices and reduce emissions from the agricultural sector while ensuring food security.

National Mission on Sustainable Habitat

With rapid urbanization, this mission aims to promote sustainable urban planning and development, emphasizing energy-efficient buildings and public transport systems.

National Mission for Green India

Focused on forest and biodiversity conservation, this mission aims to restore and enhance forest and tree cover, as well as protect wildlife habitats.

This mission aims to promote climate-resilient agricultural practices and reduce emissions from the agricultural sector while ensuring food security.

National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

This mission focuses on creating and disseminating knowledge related to climate change, adaptation, and mitigation strategies.

The Forest Rights Act, enacted in 2006, recognizes the historical injustice meted out to forest-dwelling tribal and indigenous communities. It grants legal rights to forest dwellers over the land they have inhabited for generations. This act not only protects forests but also empowers marginalized communities by giving them control over their resources.

Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

This legislation aims to prevent and control water pollution by regulating the discharge of pollutants into water bodies and setting water quality standards.

Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

Similar to the Water Act, the Air Act of 1981 addresses air pollution issues by regulating emissions from industries and vehicles, thereby improving air quality.

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

This act provides legal provisions for the protection and conservation of wildlife in India. It designates protected areas and regulates hunting and poaching activities.

Challenges and Controversies

Despite India’s efforts to strengthen its environmental laws, several challenges and controversies persist. Rapid urbanization, industrialization, and population growth continue to exert pressure on the environment, leading to concerns about air and water pollution.

Rapid Urbanization and Industrialization

India’s rapid urbanization and industrial growth have brought economic prosperity but also environmental challenges. The expansion of cities and industries often leads to increased pollution, deforestation, and habitat destruction, impacting air and water quality, as well as biodiversity.

Air and Water Pollution

Air pollution is a significant concern in many Indian cities, with high levels of particulate matter and pollutants affecting public health. Water pollution, driven by industrial discharges and inadequate sewage treatment, poses a severe threat to water bodies and public health.

Deforestation and Loss of Biodiversity

The growth of infrastructure projects and agricultural expansion has resulted in deforestation and the loss of critical habitats for wildlife. This poses a threat to India’s rich biodiversity and can lead to ecological imbalances.

Inadequate Implementation and Enforcement

Despite robust environmental laws and policies, their effective implementation and enforcement can be challenging. Inconsistent enforcement across states and regions, bureaucratic delays, and corruption can hinder the intended impact of these policies.

Displacement of Indigenous Communities

Large-scale infrastructure projects, such as dams and mining, often lead to the displacement of indigenous and tribal communities who depend on the land for their livelihoods. This raises ethical and human rights concerns.

Water Scarcity and Resource Management

India faces significant challenges related to water scarcity and mismanagement of water resources. Competing demands for water from agriculture, industry, and households often lead to conflicts.

Controversy Over Environmental Clearances

The process of granting environmental clearances for development projects is often mired in controversy. Critics argue that some projects receive approval without adequate scrutiny of their environmental impact.

Climate Change Vulnerability

India is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. Adapting to and mitigating these changes require substantial resources and policy adjustments.

Waste Management and Plastic Pollution

Inefficient waste management systems and the proliferation of single-use plastics contribute to environmental degradation. Proper disposal and recycling of waste materials are ongoing challenges.

Lack of Public Awareness and Participation

Engaging the public in environmental conservation efforts remains a challenge. Limited awareness and engagement hinder collective action for environmental protection.

Addressing these challenges and controversies requires a multifaceted approach that includes stricter enforcement of existing laws, sustainable development practices, public awareness campaigns, and proactive measures to combat pollution and protect natural resources. Achieving a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability is an ongoing endeavor for India’s policymakers and citizens.

• The Environmental Protection Act, 1986, empowers the central government to take measures to safeguard and improve the environment, making it a cornerstone of India’s environmental legislation.
• The Forest Rights Act grants legal rights to forest dwellers, helping conserve forests and empowering marginalized communities.
• NAPCC is a comprehensive strategy to combat climate change while promoting sustainable development through various national missions.
• India faces challenges such as rapid urbanization, industrialization, and population growth, leading to concerns about pollution and resource depletion.
• Individuals can contribute by adopting sustainable practices, conserving resources, and supporting initiatives that promote environmental conservation…. .Read more
• #Environmental Laws and Policies

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Greening India’s Environment: Challenges Faced and Prospects for Future Cooperation

• May 10, 2021

The beginning of 2021 has been exceptionally challenging for India. In January, India’s capital city New Delhi was hit not only by a hailstorm, but also by the heaviest rainfall in 21 years, according to the India Meteorological Department ( IMD ). Furthermore, the country was then plunged into a cold wave in the Northern regions. However, Central and South India have been particularly hot, so much so that January 2021 was the warmest in 62 years in terms of average recorded temperature. What is more, on the 7 th of February 2021, a massive piece of a Himalayan glacier broke off in northern India, causing at least 26 deaths, with a further 170 people missing. In view of the increase in natural disasters in India, the national government raised awareness of global warming in various ways. For instance, in 2008, the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change ( PMCCC ) published India’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change ( NAPCC ), outlining the government’s initiatives and strategies on climate change. 

Nevertheless, more than a decade after the release of the NAPCC, India is facing increasing extreme weather that has disastrous effects on humans, animals and the ecosystem. Thus, the effectiveness of Indian environmental policies should be assessed. As a starting point, the environmental situation in India will be examined. With this in mind, we will then look into the initiatives implemented on the domestic and international levels to remedy the situation. Lastly, EU-Indian cooperation on climate change, water and energy issues as well as their future prospects will be tackled. This paper suggests that for India, in order to combat climate change, a sustainable and feasible environmental action plan resides in finding the balance between environmental protection and economic development , notably in ensuring energy security . As an active developing country, India possesses significant potential to improve its environmental standing and move towards a “greener” economic model while cooperating with other regional and international partners. All that is needed now is to act upon it. 

Assessment of India’s Vulnerability to Climate Change

In the Germanwatch 2020 Global Climate Risk Index report, India is ranked fifth amongst the most affected countries by climate change. The Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences ’ 2020 report estimates that the average temperature in India is expected to climb by 4.4°C before the end of the century, exacerbating concerns over rising sea levels. With a coastline of 7517km on which major Indian cities are located (namely Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai), this is especially worrying. These cities are already at risk of being submerged every year during monsoon season. While flooding and droughts become increasingly frequent in India, extreme weather conditions also spur worries about food security and energy supplies, since its population is expected to surpass China’s in 2027, becoming the world’s most populous country. Despite exceptional climatic conditions being perceived as “natural disasters”, human activity weighs heavily on the environment. As the third-largest global producer of carbon dioxide in 2020, the exploitation of fossil fuels, soaring levels of pollution from industries and Indian megacities all contribute to carbon emissions, leading to an acceleration of climate change. 

Indian Domestic Environmental Initiatives

Many Indian cities are known for their heavy traffic situations and smog. The AirVisual’s 2018 World air quality report indicated that 22 out of the 30 most polluted cities are located in India. Air quality has also been assessed as “ airpocalyptic ” in a Greenpeace report issued in January 2017. The severity of the matter should not be underestimated, particularly during winter months where air quality worsens due to atmospheric factors, heating systems and post-monsoon biomass burning. Around 60 percent of the Indian population still relies on biomass such as wood or charcoal for cooking and energy supply. In order to combat the emission of these fumes, the Indian government adopted the Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana ( PMUY ) scheme in 2016 which provides clean liquefied petroleum gas ( LPG ) connections to poor households freely for cooking purposes. It is aimed to reach 80 million households by 2022. Combating air pollution is an important concern , given that poor air quality has a significant health impact, reducing average life expectancy by more than 10 years in Delhi. In November 2020 for instance, New Delhi’s air pollution level was nine times higher than what the World Health Organization deems safe, to the point where the air was considered dangerous to breathe. According to the state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research ( SAFAR ), the levels of PM 2.5, which is considered one of the most toxic particles, climbed to about 250 micrograms per cubic meter. A thick smog rendered the city’s gray winter sky a sickly yellow and shrouded national monuments. People’s vulnerability to air pollution has been exacerbated by the pandemic, as a combination of air pollution and COVID-19 makes people with chronic medical conditions more prone to lung inflammation and other health conditions. As Arvind Kejriwal, New Delhi’s chief minister stated , “the corona situation is worsening because of pollution.” As a consequence, the Indian Ministry of Environment launched the national clean air programme ( NCAP ), which sets the framework for sub-federal states to institute and adequately implement the necessary measures. Since many Indian cities are amongst the most polluted in the world, this programme aims at reducing the concentration of coarse (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5) in 102 cities across the country by 20-30 percent by 2024, as compared to 2017.

Besides the deteriorating air quality, water pollution also poses a severe threat in India. According to the 2018 “ Composite water management index ”, India’s water index is ranked 120 th out of 122 countries. In urban and rural areas, untreated sewage water from farms and factories flows into rivers and lakes, contaminating drinkable underground water. Farmers subsequently use the untreated water to irrigate their crops, generating food security challenges and illnesses among the consumers further down the food production chain. For years, the Ganges – Hinduism’s holy rivers, have been polluted to the extent that its water is unsafe in some areas due to the risk posed by heavy metals. This prompted the launch of the National Mission for Clean Ganga ( NMCG ) in 2014. At the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, nearly USD 3 billion of funds were committed to a five-year clean-up of the Ganges by 2020. However, the NMCG was criticized for its slow pace of cleaning-related work. According to the most recent data available from the Central Pollution Control Board ( CPCB ), amongst its 2,500-kilometer length, the Ganges’ average water quality has not reached a level considered safe for drinking and bathing due to the fact that untreated sewage water has continually been discharged into the Ganges. 

Furthermore, urban planning failures , manifested in clogged drainage systems and the encroachment of water bodies, play a critical role in the impact of natural disasters on cities. In summer 2020, many Indian cities experienced flooding . The expansion of mega-cities in India makes them more vulnerable to heavy rainfalls, especially in locations with a high concentration of people such as slums and squatter settlements. Inadequate urban development policies go hand in hand with poor waste management, also causing food and health problems. In an attempt to address this, the Modi government has launched the Swachh Bharat Mission (‘ Clean India ’ project), aimed at decluttering the streets, clearing sewage pipes and the building of millions of public toilets across the country between 2014 and 2019. The project has paid off. It has been reported that since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission, at least 180,000 diarrhoeal deaths were averted in rural India. According to a survey conducted by the National Statistical Office ( NSO ) in 2018 and released in 2019, 71 percent of rural households had access to toilets in 2018, showing a significant improvement compared to 40 percent in 2012. On 1st February 2021, the Indian  finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the “Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0” initiative, where Rs 1,41,678 crore are allocated to complete faecal sludge management and wastewater treatment over five years from 2021. The ‘ Smart Cities Mission ’ also contributed to developing public transport, sewerage, water supply and sanitation. The program will vary on a city to city basis, with financial aid payments being staggered between 2017 and 2022. Due to the severity of the pandemic, the project had to slow down to the extent that only 11 percent is completed until 2021. Thus, it has been estimated that benefits will be reaped from 2022 onwards. 

To protect the “lungs” of the earth and fight against illegal timber trafficking, the National Green Tribunal was set up in October 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2020 to enforce laws on forest conservation and natural resources . Forests are known to absorb carbon dioxide, contributing to global temperature reduction and the slowing down of climate change. Mangrove forests served as a natural barrier to take in excessive water and hold the earth firmly in the ground. However, due to economic development, the demand for wood has increased in India. As a result, heavy rain loosens the soil, taking away the earth, while devastating agricultural outputs. Deforestation has aggravated the current environmental situation, not only in India but also on the border with Bhutan and Myanmar. Illegal traffickers from the northeastern states of India smuggled timber from Bhutan, to such an extent that they have been called the “ timber mafia ”. Despite a ban on timber logging since 1996 in the northeastern states of India, the policy has not been enforced very strictly. In India, due to its federal system, regional entities have, to some degree, power to decide what measures should be implemented. As the 7 th largest country in the world, constituted by 7 union territories and 29 states, the Indian central government needs more stringent policies to better control measures in the different regions. Regional governments are dependent on the central government in terms of finance. Therefore, one solution could be to introduce financial penalties or specific taxation schemes in areas failing to adhere to environmental protection policies. There is a clear need for concordance between legislation set forth by the central government and its implementation by the states.

India’s International Engagement in Environmental Issues 

Policy awareness has been driven at the international level under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Third Biennial Update Report ( BUR-3 ) to the UNFCCC was published in February 2021 by the Indian Ministry of Environment. Through the development of green technologies in the sectors of industry, agriculture, business and commerce, the BUR-3 highlighted India’s consistent efforts to combat the challenges of global warming. Besides meeting its commitments to the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, India has enhanced initiatives in climate change mitigation and adaptation. According to Babul Supriyo, Union Minister of State for Environment, “India, as a front-runner in climate action, is one of the few countries on track to overachieve the 2 degrees celsius compatible Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) targets submitted as part of the Paris Agreement.” The 2015 Paris Agreement adopted at the global level by up to 190 Parties is an important milestone, as it is the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate change agreement. Despite the withdrawal of the United States of America from the Paris Agreement in 2016, India and other partners such as the European Union (EU) proved to be strong advocates of environmental protection and leaders in the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives as a means of energy production. For instance, the International Solar Alliance ( ISA ), which promotes the use of solar energy, was launched by France and India in November 2015 at the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris.  

Indeed, one of India’s enormous challenges will be re-orientating its energy model, which today still relies heavily on coal, fossil fuels and biomass. Since the country will become the world’s most populous country in the coming years, it faces an enormous demand for electricity provided by fossil fuels. Following its commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced an ambitious target of 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewables by 2030 , and has pledged to source 40 percent of its electricity from renewable and other low-carbon sources the same year. Incentives have paid off, as India’s is among the top ten performers in adopting substantial measures to mitigate climate change in the 2020 climate change performance index ( CCPI ). The construction of the Bhadla solar power park in Rajasthan, which is one of the world’s largest solar power plants, is the perfect example of solar energy production promotion as it can reach a maximum capacity of 2.245MW and serves as an excellent alternative to fossil fuel-based energy production. 

However, India’s “ solar-powered revolution ” and its solar manufacturing capacity have proven challenging to expand, since it relies heavily on the importation of Chinese solar equipment. According to R. K. Singh, the Indian renewable energy minister: “India imported solar cells and modules worth USD 1,179.89 million from China in the first nine months – April to December of the financial year 2019-2020.” The reason resides in the fact that “solar panels or modules imported from China are generally cheaper than those produced by domestic manufacturers,” Singh added. The Indian government ought to incentivize businesses to produce domestically manufactured components under the government-sponsored projects, such as the PM-KUSUM Scheme ( Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan ) or the Rooftop solar scheme, to discourage Chinese imports and provide protection to the domestic MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) solar firms. The lack of skilled workers in the Indian green industry also needs to be urgently addressed through advanced training in the sector and the creation of new job opportunities. As a result, these initiatives would not only lessen India’s dependency on Chinese imports, but also increase its economic competitiveness vis-à-vis China, as well as its readiness for sustainable structural change in the long run. 

Challenges and Future Prospects of EU-India Climate Cooperation

In reaction to the commitments to the Paris Agreement, the EU-India Summit in March 2016 marked a milestone in their cooperation in leading climate action and clean energy transition. Based on a shared vision for sustainable energy production, both sides agreed on a joint declaration on Clean Energy and Climate Partnership , including renewables, energy efficiency, sustainable finance, smart grids and grid integration. The Partnership aims to support the European Investment Bank in deploying funds for renewable energy and climate change programs with India. Additionally, through the EU’s Partnership Instrument project “Clean Energy Cooperation between the EU and India” ( CECI ), specific technical assistance is also brought to India to reinforce its climate research capacity. In regards to sustainable management of water resources, a joint declaration on an India-EU Water Partnership ( IEWP ) was also agreed following the Summit, assisting in the implementation of the Indian government’s Ganga Rejuvenation Initiative. From exchanging perspectives with the Indian government on regulatory approaches in tackling the cleaning of Ganga, the EU can take in valuable lessons in reforming its Water Framework Directive ( WFD ) for the Rhine and Danube. 

The EU-India Summit in October 2017 focused on facilitating EU-India business-to-business interaction, including new cooperation on green cooling, solar pumping, energy storage and advanced biofuels. Both leaders emphasized the importance of transitioning to a circular economy to minimize primary resource demand and increase clean energy development. As a result, collaboration in the fields of resource efficiency and circular economy has increased under the EU’s Resource Efficiency Initiative ( EU-REI ) for India. Besides, a joint declaration on smart and sustainable development was agreed on creating cities with sustainable urbanization. For instance, the EU supports India’s Eco-Cities project which promotes use of renewable energy, clean technology and energy efficiency in five cities – Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune metropolitan regions to meet its goals in the NCDs. The EU collaborates with Indian Urban Local Bodies to develop basic facilities and encourage sustainable urban management. Under the International Urban Cooperation programme ( IUC ), 12 city-to-city pairings between European and India cities aimed to support India Local Action Plans in promoting smart, green and inclusive growth. 

On the 15 th of July 2020, the 15 th EU-India Summit was held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic. As a common roadmap to guide joint action and further strengthen the EU-India Strategic Partnership, the “ EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025 ” was endorsed, aiming to develop a “sustainable modernization partnership.” The EU and India reaffirmed their strong commitment to the Paris Agreement and agreed upon constructive bilateral relations in the context of a post-pandemic economic recovery plan by employing a “greener” and sustainable framework. For instance, the India-EU Clean Energy and Climate Partnership established at the 2016 Summit will be reinforced. Based on the principles of mutual benefit and reciprocity, further dialogue in sharing knowledge and expertise in the areas of innovation and technology will be promoted. The EU’s main strategy to combat climate change is through its green recovery agenda. However, “the environmental and economic ambition of the Green Deal will not be achieved by Europe acting alone,” said   Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries at the summit. In times of the global pandemic, the EU-India Strategic Partnership in the field of resource efficiency and circular economy is poised to gain ever more significance in view of achieving the European green recovery plan. “The transition to a resource-efficient and circular economy is essential for the sustainability of the EU and India’s economic growth and requires working together for a global systemic shift,” with the involvement of other global powers such as China, Russia, and the United States, he added. Besides, according to a joint statement released after the summit, both parties agreed to work closely in creating a post-2020 global strategy to conserve biodiversity, which will be discussed and adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2021. The 8th May 2021 EU-India virtual Leaders’ Meeting reiterated the importance of transport and industry decarbonisation and projected a new work programme for the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership.

To sum up, climate change is a worldwide issue and needs to be dealt with not only through domestic policies but also international cooperation. As one of the most populous countries vulnerable to climate change, India needs to act now in order to protect its population from rising sea levels, pollution and the degradation of biodiversity. One solution resides in transitioning from biomass-produced energy to sustainable energy, thus creating a greener economic model. As Muthukumara Mani, a senior environmental economist in the Sustainable Development Department of the World Bank’s South Asia Region stated : “while the overall policy focus should be on meeting basic needs and expanding opportunities for growth, they should not be at the expense of unsustainable environmental degradation.” The dilemma is finding the delicate balance between socio-economic development and environmental preservation and protection. To achieve this, engaging in regional cooperation with China and international cooperation with the EU in the domains of clean energy, infrastructure-building, and climate research capacity could be beneficial for India in a greener circular economy. 

Author: Kemeng Liu, Junior Researcher, EIAS 

Photo Credits: Pixabay

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Major Environmental Movements in India

Last updated on April 22, 2024 by ClearIAS Team

Contemporary India experiences almost unrestricted exploitation of resources because of the lure of new consumerist lifestyles.

The balance of nature is disrupted. This has led to many conflicts in society.

In this article, we discuss the major environmental movements in India.

Table of Contents

What is an Environmental Movement?

• An environmental movement can be defined as a social or political movement, for the conservation of the environment or for the improvement of the state of the environment . The terms ‘green movement’ or ‘conservation movement’ are alternatively used to denote the same.
• The environmental movements favour the sustainable management of natural resources. The movements often stress the protection of the environment via changes in public policy . Many movements are centred on ecology, health and human rights .
• Environmental movements range from highly organized and formally institutionalized ones to radically informal activities.
• The spatial scope of various environmental movements ranges from being local to almost global.

Some of the major environmental movements in India during the period 1700 to 2000 are the following.

Bishnoi Movement

• Year: 1700s
• Place: Khejarli, Marwar region, Rajasthan state.
• Leaders: Amrita Devi along with Bishnoi villagers in Khejarli and surrounding villages.
• Aim: Save sacred trees from being cut down by the king’s soldiers for a new palace.

What was it all about : Amrita Devi, a female villager could not bear to witness the destruction of both her faith and the village’s sacred trees. She hugged the trees and encouraged others to do the same. 363 Bishnoi villagers were killed in this movement.

The Bishnoi tree martyrs were influenced by the teachings of Guru Maharaj Jambaji, who founded the Bishnoi faith in 1485 and set forth principles forbidding harm to trees and animals. The king who came to know about these events rushed to the village and apologized, ordering the soldiers to cease logging operations. Soon afterwards, the maharajah designated the Bishnoi state as a protected area, forbidding harm to trees and animals. This legislation still exists today in the region.

Chipko Movement

• Place: In Chamoli district and later in Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
• Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Govind Singh Rawat, Dhoom Singh Negi, Shamsher Singh Bisht and Ghanasyam Raturi.
• Aim: The main objective was to protect the trees on the Himalayan slopes from the axes of contractors of the forest.

What was it all about : Mr. Bahuguna enlightened the villagers by conveying the importance of trees in the environment which check the erosion of soil, cause rains and provide pure air. The women of Advani village of Tehri-Garhwal tied the sacred thread around the trunks of trees and they hugged the trees, hence it was called the ‘Chipko Movement’ or ‘hug the tree movement’.

The main demand of the people in these protests was that the benefits of the forests (especially the right to fodder) should go to local people. The Chipko movement gathered momentum in 1978 when the women faced police firings and other tortures.

The then state Chief Minister, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna set up a committee to look into the matter, which eventually ruled in favour of the villagers. This became a turning point in the history of eco-development struggles in the region and around the world.

Save Silent Valley Movement

• Place: Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India.
• Leaders: The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) an NGO, and the poet-activist Sughathakumari played an important role in the Silent Valley protests.
• Aim: To protect the Silent Valley, the moist evergreen forest from being destroyed by a hydroelectric project.

What was it all about: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proposed a hydroelectric dam across the Kunthipuzha River that runs through Silent Valley. In February 1973, the Planning Commission approved the project at a cost of about Rs 25 crores. Many feared that the project would submerge 8.3 sq km of untouched moist evergreen forest. Several NGOs strongly opposed the project and urged the government to abandon it.

In January 1981, bowing to unrelenting public pressure, Indira Gandhi declared that Silent Valley will be protected. In June 1983 the Center re-examined the issue through a commission chaired by Prof. M.G.K. Menon. In November 1983 the Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project was called off. In 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi formally inaugurated the Silent Valley National Park.

Jungle Bachao Andholan

• Place: Singhbhum district of Bihar
• Leaders: The tribals of Singhbhum.
• Aim: Against the government’s decision to replace the natural sal forest with Teak .

What was it all about: The tribals of the Singhbhum district of Bihar started the protest when the government decided to replace the natural sal forests with the highly-priced teak. This move was called by many “Greed Game Political Populism”. Later this movement spread to Jharkhand and Orissa.

Appiko Movement

• Place: Uttara Kannada and Shimoga districts  of Karnataka State
• Leaders: Appiko’s greatest strengths lie in it being neither driven by a personality nor having been formally institutionalised. However, it does have a facilitator in Pandurang Hegde. He helped launch the movement in 1983.
• Aim: Against the felling and commercialization of natural forest and the ruin of ancient livelihood.

What was it all about: It can be said that the Appiko movement is the southern version of the Chipko movement. The Appiko Movement was locally known as “Appiko Chaluvali”. The locals embraced the trees which were to be cut by contractors of the forest department. The Appiko movement used various techniques to raise awareness such as foot marches in the interior forest, slide shows, folk dances, street plays etc.

The second area of the movement’s work was to promote afforestation on denuded lands. The movement later focused on the rational use of the ecosphere by introducing alternative energy resource to reduce pressure on the forest. The movement became a success. The current status of the project is – stopped.

Narmada Bachao Andholan (NBA)

• Place:  Narmada River, which flows through the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Leaders: Medha Patker, Baba Amte, Adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists.
• Aim: A social movement against several large dams being built across the Narmada River.

What was it all about: The movement first started as a protest for not providing proper rehabilitation and resettlement for the people who have been displaced by the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Later on, the movement turned its focus on the preservation of the environment and the eco-systems of the valley. Activists also demanded the height of the dam to be reduced to 88 m from the proposed height of 130m. World Bank withdrew from the project.

The environmental issue was taken into court. In October 2000, the Supreme Court gave a judgment approving the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam with a condition that the height of the dam could be raised to 90 m. This height is much higher than the 88 m which anti-dam activists demanded, but it is definitely lower than the proposed height of 130 m. The project is now largely financed by the state governments and market borrowings. The project is expected to be fully com­pleted by 2025.

Although not successful, as the dam could not be prevented, the NBA has created an anti-big dam opinion in India and outside. It questioned the paradigm of development. As a democratic movement, it followed the Gandhian way 100 per cent.

Tehri Dam Conflict

• Year: 1990’s
• Place: Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand.
• Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna
• Aim: The protest was against the displacement of town inhabitants and the environmental consequence of the weak ecosystem.

Tehri Dam attracted national attention in the 1980s and the 1990s.  The major objections include seismic sensitivity of the region, the submergence of forest areas along with Tehri town etc. Despite the support from other prominent leaders like Sunderlal Bahuguna, the movement has failed to gather enough popular support at the national as well as international levels.

• Appiko – The Hindu
• NBA – The Hindu

Article by: Priyanka Sunil

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November 26, 2016 at 3:05 pm

Hi, You are providing valuable information for competitive exam’s. Here in this article you have written about “Chipko Movement” is started from Tehri Garhwal. “Chipko Movement” was started from “Reni Village” of Chamoli ditrtict, which is near “Joshimath”.

So, plz correct that.

November 26, 2016 at 4:18 pm

Thanks Udit for pointing it out. We have updated the article.

The struggle Chipko’s first battle took place in early 1973 in Chamoli district, when the villagers of Mandal, led by Bhatt and the Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal (DGSM), prevented the Allahabad-based sports goods company, Symonds, from felling 14 ash trees. In Tehri Garhwal, Chipko activists led by Sunderlal Bahuguna began organising villagers from May 1977 to oppose tree-felling in the Henwal valley.

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May 12, 2022 at 4:14 pm

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Essay on Environmental Protection

Environmental protection is a responsibility we all share to safeguard our planet’s beauty and balance. In this essay, we will explore the significance of environmental protection, the threats our environment faces, and the actions we can take to ensure a healthier and more sustainable future.

The Importance of Environmental Protection

Environmental protection is like a shield that defends our planet against harm. It encompasses efforts to preserve our air, water, land, and the diverse life forms that call our planet home. Experts agree that without environmental protection, our world’s ecosystems and natural beauty are at risk.

Threats to Our Environment

Our environment faces numerous threats, including pollution, deforestation, habitat destruction, and climate change. Pollution, such as air and water pollution, harms our health and the health of the planet. Deforestation disrupts ecosystems, leading to the loss of plant and animal species. Habitat destruction endangers wildlife, and climate change causes extreme weather events and rising temperatures.

The Role of Pollution

Pollution is a significant threat to our environment. According to statistics, air pollution contributes to respiratory diseases and global warming, while water pollution harms aquatic life. Reducing pollution through cleaner technologies and responsible waste disposal is a crucial aspect of environmental protection.

The Impact of Deforestation

Deforestation, the cutting down of trees on a large scale, has a severe impact on our environment. It leads to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of the carbon cycle, contributing to climate change. Conservation efforts, reforestation, and sustainable logging practices are essential to protecting our forests.

Protecting Wildlife Habitats

Habitat destruction threatens countless species. When we destroy natural habitats for urban development or agriculture, we push animals out of their homes. Experts suggest creating protected areas and wildlife corridors to ensure the survival of diverse species.

Climate Change and Global Warming

Climate change is one of the most pressing environmental issues. Rising temperatures, caused by the greenhouse gases we release into the atmosphere, lead to melting ice caps, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events. Mitigating climate change through reduced emissions and the use of clean energy sources is vital for environmental protection.

Actions for Environmental Protection

We all have a role to play in environmental protection. We can conserve resources by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Using public transportation or carpooling can help reduce air pollution. Planting trees and participating in clean-up events contribute to a healthier environment.

Education and Awareness

Educating ourselves and others about environmental issues is crucial. Experts believe that awareness and knowledge empower us to make informed decisions that benefit our planet. Schools, communities, and organizations can play a vital role in educating people about environmental protection.

Conclusion of Essay on Environmental Protection

In conclusion, environmental protection is not a choice but a responsibility that falls on each of our shoulders. We must recognize the significance of safeguarding our environment against pollution, deforestation, habitat destruction, and climate change. By taking action, supporting conservation efforts, and raising awareness, we can ensure a brighter, more sustainable future for ourselves and the generations to come. Let us remember that environmental protection is not just a duty; it is a commitment to preserving Earth’s beauty and balance for all living creatures.

Also Check: Simple Guide on How To Write An Essay

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Environmental Protection and Conservation in India

In the 21st century, conservation and protection of the environment have become a big issue in every country, whether developed or developing. India has taken a number of steps in this direction, but how far those are relevant, only future will tell, but there is no doubt that since ancient times, there are guidelines and prescription for the environment management. The sacred books, scriptures, Vedas, Puranas including the epics Mahabharat and Ramayan mentioned about the protection of the environment. For this purpose, environment resources like trees, rivers, mountains, lands, etc. were attached to the religion so that they become part and parcel of everyday life of people and they follow in their daily routine. In medieval times also, there were prescriptions for environment conservation. In modern times, mainly after independence, various laws, rules, regulations, by-laws, and policies have been formulated for the protection of the environment in India. A number of organizations/institutes like Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; National Green Tribunal; Central Pollution Control Board have been established for the environment management.

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Green Chemistry & Technology Letters

Damodar Prabhu

Society, at large, has to realise the gravity of environmental degradation and participate fully in the mitigation of environmental problems. This article discusses the Indian initiatives and the important milestones in the path of environmental protection and pollution abatement. The commitment of the Indian Government to the cause of public awareness of environment conservation is reflected in its outreach and educational programmes involving its ministries, environmental monitoring agencies,NGOs, academic and research institutions. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)has played a leading role in the national priority programmes of environmental monitoring, assessment and pollution control.All the stake holders have succeeded to some extent in creating public interest in environmental issues but much more needs to be done. National level institutions like NEERI,NIO and TERI are actively involved in research to find feasible solutions to our environmental problems and in ...

TJPRC Publication

In general, environment refers to the surroundings of an object. Environmental law is a complex and interlocking body of treaties, conventions, statutes, regulations, and common law that, very broadly, operate to regulate the interaction of humanity and the rest of the biophysical or natural environment, toward the purpose of reducing the impacts of human activity, both on the natural environment and on humanity itself. The topic may be divided into two major subjects: (1) pollution control and remediation, (2) resource conservation and management. Laws dealing with pollution are often media-limited - i.e., pertain only to a single environmental medium, such as air, water (whether surface water, groundwater or oceans), soil, etc. - and control both emissions of pollutants into the medium, as well as liability for exceeding permitted emissions and responsibility for cleanup. India having 18% of the world's population on 2.4% of world's total area has greatly increased the pressure on its natural resources. Water shortages, soil exhaustion and erosion, deforestation, air and water pollution afflicts many areas. India‘s water supply and sanitation issues are related to many environmental issues. Environmental degradation seriously threatens economic and social progress even at the global level. Increasing craze for mega cities and high tower buildings without considering the width of the roads and parking areas have been causing further congestion and damages to the environment thereby degrading the environment much faster than economic growth.

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Environmental protection in India

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• November 26, 2022

Introduction

Environmental Protection is one of the fundamental requirements for any nation’s overall development. Environmental Protection is improving and maintaining the quality of the environment. It focuses on the aspect that no part of nature is affected by any activity of human beings. India is now a country that experiences strong GDP growth.

This implies that when there is an increase in urbanization, industrialization, and use of resources the nation experiences a steady rise. All of these advancements cause a backlash on the environment such as pollution, water scarcity, and rising temperature. This leads the nation to adopt sustainable development for the protection of the environment.

History of environmental protection

To understand the present-day environmental law protection system, we need to look into the history of where the protection of the environment started. A look into the past Indian traditions and practices of protecting the environment will give an idea.

The evolution of environmental protection has been divided into four phases-

Ancient Indian policies

Even the pre-Vedic Indian Valley Civilization, which flourished in northern India around 5,000 years ago, can be said to have been conscious of the environment. All this has been gathered from archaeological evidence.

The awareness about hygiene and sanitation is evident from the construction of houses, streets, wells, and many more. Cleanliness was one of the main focuses of the Vedic culture.

The Charka Samhita gives many verses about the use of water for maintaining its purity. There were also many punishments prescribed for the man if he or she cut a tree or harm the environment.

Medieval Indian policies

During the Mughals, forests were considered for hunting. During this period there were no such major environmental protection acts to laws took place.

British Indian policies

There were some of the major laws for environmental protection introduced such as the Shore Nuisance (Bombay and Kolaba) Act, 1853 imposed restrictions on the fouling of seawater; The Merchant Shipping Act of 1858 dealt with the prevention of sea pollution by oil; The Fisheries Act, 1897; The Bengal Smoke Nuisance Act of 1905; Bombay Smoke Nuisance Act of 1912.

After independence policies

The Constitution of India did not mainly deal with any such environmental protection acts or subjects. In 1972, the Stockholm Declaration focused on environmental protection. The National Council for Environmental Policy and Planning was set up in 1972 to focus on environmental protection.

Another act named the Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972 , aimed at the logical and contemporary management of wildlife. Up to the present, there have been several policies and laws enacted for the protection of the environment.

Present-day environmental protection acts and policies

Before the independence, the laws and policies for the environmental protection act existed but after the independence at the Stockholm Conference, the National Council for Environmental Policy and Planning was established in 1972. Later, this became the Ministry of Environment and Forests. This is today one of the main bodies for the protection of the environment.

Let us now discuss some of the important and prevalent legislation for environmental protection:

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

The purpose of this act was to prevent and control water pollution and to maintain or restore the country’s water wholesomeness. This act mainly focuses to prohibit the discharge of pollutants into the water bodies and also puts penalties on those who do not comply with the said acts.

At the Centre, the CPCB, and at the State, the SPCBs are there to lay down the standards for the protection of the water bodies. The cess is gathered to supplement the funds available to the Central Board and State Boards for the prevention and control of water pollution, which was established by the 1974 Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. The Act last underwent revision in 2003.

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

The purpose of this act is to prevent and control air pollution and also maintain the pollutants realized into the air. the Boards at the Centre and the State have been built to carry out the purpose of air protection. There were standards established under the Air Acts for the protection of Air quality.

These standards were laid down by prohibiting the use of polluting fuels and substances in the air. Through this Act, the State was empowered with the right to declare any area as having polluted air.

The Environment Protection Act, 1986

The purpose of this act was to protect and improve environmental conditions. Through this act, there is a framework established for the studying and implementation of the long-term requirements of the environment for its protection.

The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

This is a tribunal established to provide a basis for the effective disposal of cases that are related to environmental protection and conservation. This Act had the establishment of NGT to deal with environmental laws.

In light of the National Green Tribunal’s establishment under the National Green Tribunal Act of 2010 and notification number S.O. 2570(E) dated October 18, 2010, the National Environment Appellate Authority established under section 3(1) of the National Environment Appellate Authority Act of 1997 stands dissolved.

Some of the other acts that are important from a viewpoint of environmental protection are:

• The Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
• The Forest Conservation Act 1980.
• Public Liability Insurance Act 1991.
• The Biological Diversity Act 2022.

Constitutional aspects of environmental protection

The of India is a living document and has in past years invalidated a lot of provisions related to environmental protection and conservation . The provisions such as who has the power to make laws regarding the environmental laws, how the laws are to be enacted, what can be the possible ways to protect the environment, and many more.

Under the Environmental Protection Act, of 1986 the word environment has been defined as “environment includes water, air and land and the interrelationship which exists among and between air, water and land, and human beings, other living creatures, plants, micro-organism, and property”.

Provision of the Constitution

At the Stockholm Conference, the Global Movement led the establishment of the 42nd Amendment of the Indian Constitution in 1976 . The environmental provisions were added to the Constitution. An example is that Article 48-A [1] was added to the Directive Principles of State Policy by this particular amendment.

Fundamental rights

These Articles state the right to a clean environment:

Article 14 states that every citizen is entitled to equality before the law and also gets equal protection from the law. This article is a way to have the state practice fairness between the citizens.

Article 19(1) can also be used in a way to deal with noise pollution.

Article 21 states that no person shall be deprived of the right to life and personal liberty.

Article 32 states the right to file a petition for constitutional remedies. Petitions can be filed under this section for matters related to environmental protection.

Fundamental duties

Article 51-A(g) : This article mentions that every citizen must preserve and enhance the natural environment such as the forests, lakes, rivers, animals, etc. Also, both the State and every person have the responsibility to preserve the environment.

Directive principles of state policy

Article 48-A: This article states that the State shall make every effort to protect the nation’s forests and wildlife, as well as to preserve and advance the environment. [2]

Importance of environmental protection

There is keen importance on environmental protection for the following reasons:

• To lessen pollution of the air, water, and land.
• To make it easier to protect natural resources for future generations.
• To make sure that biodiversity is protected.
• To put sustainable development into practice.
• To re-establish ecological harmony.
• To protect the environment from the damaging effects of global warming.

Environmental protection: need of the hour in India

As it is evident that the GDP of India is increasing and improving day by day. India is making constant efforts to become more and more self-sufficient and improve its economy.

As improving the economy requires more advanced technology, the advancement of technology is proportional to the harm the environment is causes by certain activities that the industries cause. Industrialization, urbanization, and all the means to lead a better life and have a clean and pure environment to live in.

So, for the conservation of the environment, India took some crucial steps such as obtaining sustainable development. India has brought measures for preserving water and energy resources, droughts, and many more.

There has to be a balance struck between economic development and the development of the environment. Certain steps can be taken, they are mentioned below:

• Sustainable development: In these, measures are taken to use the resources in a manner in which there is sufficient left for the future generation to use. India has adopted these models for better utilization of resources and the protection of the environment.
• Advancement and adoption of technology: India is taking certain steps to improve technology and advance it. There are steps taken such as Make in India, Smart Manufacturing, and Skill India.
• The three-fold collaboration: The collaboration and alliance between the industry, government and regulatory bodies will help the country to maintain the relationship between environmental protection and economic development. All the factors that contribute to the economy should in a combined way put efforts into the same.

Some of the recent environmental protection factors

There have been certain factors for the protection of the environment in respect of power generation the environment:

Special purpose vehicle (SPV) for afforestation

This is being set up jointing by NTPC and Central Power Sectors. This helps in the reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Fly ash utilisation action plan

As per the Indian reports, all power stations together produce 90 million tonnes of fly ash per year. This plan has made several efforts and recommendations to use the fly ash in the production of cement, bricks, paving materials, floor tiles, wall panels, etc., as well as in farming, road building, land-filling, and mine backfilling.

Clean development mechanism (CDM)

The Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) has engaged in providing consultancy services for concerns related to environmental protection. Project development, baseline surveys for each project, negotiations with CDM parties, identification of counterpart CDM parties from developed countries, cost of CO2 monitoring and verification of CO2 emission reduction, and project implementation oversight are all included in the terms of reference.

This was established in November 1975 to maintain Sustainable Power Development. As per the reports, with an installed capacity of 21,749 MW (19% of India’s installed capacity), contributing to 26% of the nation’s total generation, and having a high availability factor of its power plants, National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. (NTPC) is now India’s largest power utility.

As to sum up, India is a developing country and is trying every day to make efforts for the improvement and advancement of the same. The judiciary of India has brought up a lot of laws and regulations for the same. The government is focusing on improving the economic conditions without the degradation of the environment.

Nature remaining intact is important for the people, flora, and fauna to survive. Recently, India has made a lot of new addition for the enhancement of the condition of the environment and its conservation as it is. Also, there have been constitutional provisions attached to environmental protection. There are fundamental duties, rights, and directive principles for the same.

The Indian government has passed and is working on many aspects that keep the economy growing and also protect the environment at the same time without any cost. Some of the major works are such as Make in India or Skill India. As for this moment, there are still advancements and improvements being made.

References:

[1] Indian Constitution.

[2] Sher Singh v. Himachal Pradesh it was held that “the residents of the country were found to have a fundamental right to a clean, safe, and dignified environment”.

This article has been authored by Suhani Gupta.

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The Role of Indian Judiciary in Protection of Environment in India

By Atisha Sisodiya, School of Law, Christ University

Editor’s Note: In recent years, there has been a sustained focus on the role played by the higher judiciary in devising and monitoring the implementation of measures for pollution control, conservation of forests and wildlife protection. Many of these judicial interventions have been triggered by the persistent incoherence in policy-making as well as the lack of capacity-building amongst the executive agencies.

Devices such as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) have been prominently relied upon to tackle environmental problems, and this approach has its supporters as well as critics. The main objective behind this study made by the author is to identify the present scenario and analyse the nature and extent of developments till date in various environmental statuses through statutes, law, conventions and various other issues regarding the court decisions and judicial processes.

The black ebony staves of judiciary which has thumped time and again for protection of man miniature against excruciating blows of evil is known on the aspiration for protecting environment. Although numerous legislative steps have been taken to give effect to the significant right of man to live in a sound environment and the corresponding duty on state and individuals to ensure environment preservation and conservation, my endeavor, in this study, is to analyze the steps taken by judiciary to forward this goal. The main objective behind this research is to identify the present scenario and study the nature and extent of till date developments in various environmental statuses through various statutes, law and convention and various issues regarding the court decisions and judicial process.

This paper commences with the meaning and need for environmental laws. It also analyzes the judicial remedies available for environmental protection and some remarkable principles and doctrine propounded by the Indian judiciary. It further views upon the constitutional aspects and the new trends in judicial approach in environmental protection. The proposed study will lead to a more descriptive and comprehensive understanding of the environment law and the policy along with the role of Supreme in today’s context to the new emerging threat which need to be combat effectively.

Introduction

Environment is the wellspring of life on earth like water, air, soil, etc., and determines the presence, development and improvement of humanity and all its activities. The concept of ecological protection and preservation is not new. It has been intrinsic to many ancient civilizations. Ancient India texts highlights that it is the dharma of each individual in the society to protect nature and the term ‘nature’ includes land, water, trees and animals which are of great importance to us. . In the ‘Atharva Veda’ , the ancient Hindu Scepters stated “What of thee I dig out let that quickly grow over”. [i]

At the same time, new innovations like, thermal power, atomic plant and so on without any sufficient natural assurance pose another danger to the situations, the aftereffect of which results in issues like global warming, climate change, acid rain, etc. Moreover, according to pattern of Indian legislature to make a number of legislations as opposed to addressing the reason for failure and disappointment, and passing new bills consistently is just like ‘old wine in new bottle’. Therefore, there arises a requirement for a comprehensive analysis of the protection of the environment. In recent years, there has been a sustained focus on the role played by the higher judiciary in devising and monitoring the implementation of measures for pollution control, conservation of forests and wildlife protection. Many of these judicial interventions have been triggered by the persistent incoherence in policy-making as well as the lack of capacity-building amongst the executive agencies. Devices such as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) have been prominently relied upon to tackle environmental problems, and this approach has its supporters as well as critics [ii] .

Meaning of Environment

The word “environment” relates to surroundings. It includes virtually everything. It can be can defined as anything which may be treated as covering the physical surroundings that are common to all of us, including air, space, land, water, plants and wildlife [iii] .

According to the Webster Dictionary, it is defined as the “Aggregate of all the external condition and influences affecting the life and development of an organism. [iv] ”

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

Section 2(a) environment “includes water, air and land and the inter- relationship which exists among and between water, air and land, and human beings, other living creatures, plants, micro-organism and property [v] .”

Thus, after analyzing all the above definitions, the basic idea that can be concluded is that environment means the surroundings in which we live and is essential for our life.

Need for environmental laws

Today we are living in nuclear arena. No one can overlook the harm caused to the environment by the nuclear bombs, dropped by airplanes belonging to the United States on the Japanese urban communities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki amid the last phases of World War II in 1945. Day to day innovation and advancement of technology, apart from development additionally expands the risk to human life. Accordingly, there arises an intense and an acute need of the law to keep pace with the need of the society along with individuals. So now the question of environmental protection is a matter of worldwide concern, it is not confined to any country or territory.

Judicial remedies for environment pollution

The remedies available in India for environmental protection comprise of tortuous as well as statutory law remedies. The tortuous remedies available are trespass, nuisance, strict liability and negligence. The statutory remedies incorporates: Citizen’s suit, e.g.,

• an activity brought under Section 19 of the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986,
• an activity under area 133, Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.and
• and activity brought under the Section 268 for open irritation, under Indian Penal Code,1860

Apart from this, a writ petition can be filed under Article 32 in the Supreme Court of India or under Article 226 in the High Court.

Tortious liability

The Indian judiciary has developed the following tortuous remedies:

In the recent case of Shriram Gas Leak , involving a leakage of Oleum gas which resulted in substantial environmental harm to the citizens of Delhi, the Apex court held that the quantum of damages awarded must be proportionate to the capacity and magnitude of the polluter to pay. However, the Apex Court has deviated from this test in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy [vi] .

The purpose of injunction is to prevent continuous wrong. The grant of perpetual injunction is governed by Sec.37 to 42 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963.

Nuisance means the act which creates hindrance to the enjoyment of the person in form of smell, air, noise, etc.

According to Stephen, nuisance is anything done to hurt or annoyance of lands, tenements of another and not amounting to trespass.

Nuisance can be divided into two categories:

Private Nuisance – It is a substantial and unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of one’s land.

Public Nuisance – It is an unreasonable interference with a general right of the public.

It means intentional or negligent direct interference with personal or proprietary rights without lawful excuses.

The two important requirements for trespass are:

1) There must be an intentional or negligent interference with personal or proprietary rights.

2) The interference with the personal or proprietary rights must be direct rather than consequential.

It connotes failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances.

Strict Liability

The rule enunciated in Rylands v. Fletcher by Blackburn J. is that the person who for his own purpose brings on his land and collects and keeps there anything likely to be a mischief, if it escapes, must keep it as its peril, and if he does not do so is prima facie even though, he will be answerable for all the damage which is the natural consequence of its escape. The doctrine of strict liability has considerable utility in environmental pollution cases especially cases dealing with the harm caused by the leakage of hazardous substances [vii] .

Some remarkable principles and doctrines propounded by the Indian judiciary:-

1. doctrine of absolute liability.

THE BHOPAL CASE: Union Carbide Corporation v. Union Of India [viii]

In this case, the court held that, where an enterprise is occupied with an inherently dangerous or a hazardous activity and harm results to anybody by virtue of a mishap in the operation of such dangerous or naturally unsafe movement coming about, for instance, in getaway of poisonous gas, the enterprise is strictly and completely obligated to repay every one of the individuals who are influenced by the accident and such risk is not subject to any exemptions. Accordingly, Supreme Court created another trend of Absolute Liability without any exemption.

2. Polluter Pays Principles 

“ If anyone intentionally spoils the water of another … let him not only pay damages, but

purify the stream or cistern which contains the water… ” – Plato

Polluter Pays Principle has become a very popular concept lately. ‘If you make a mess, it’s your duty to clean it up ‘- this is the fundamental basis of this slogan. It should be mentioned that in environment law, the ‘polluter pays principle’ does not allude to “fault.” Instead, it supports a remedial methodology which is concerned with repairing natural harm. It’s a rule in international environmental law where the polluting party pays for the harm or damage done to the natural environment.

Vellore Citizen’s Welfare Forum v. Union of India [ix] The Supreme Court has declared that the polluter pays principle is an essential feature of the sustainable development.

3. Precautionary Principle

The Supreme Court of India, in Vellore Citizens Forum Case, developed the following three concepts for the precautionary principle:

Environmental measures must anticipate, prevent and attack the causes of environmental degradation

Lack of scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures

Onus of proof is on the actor to show that his action is benign

  4.   Public Trust Doctrine

The Public Trust Doctrine primarily rests on the principle that certain resources like air, water, sea and the forests have such a great importance to people as a whole that it would be wholly unjustified to make them a subject of private ownership.

M.C.Mehta v. Kamal Nath and Others [x]

The public trust doctrine, as discussed by court in this judgment is a part of the law of the land.

5. Doctrine of Sustainable Development

The World commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in its report prominently known as the ‘Brundtland Report’ named after the Chairman of the Commission Ms. GH  Brundtland highlights the concept of sustainable development. As per Brundtland Report, Sustainable development signifies ” development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs” [xi] . There is a need for the courts to strike a balance between development and environment.

Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra v. State of UP [xii]

The court for the first time dealt with the issue relating to the environment and development; and held that, it is always to be remembered that these are the permanent assets of mankind and or not intended to be exhausted in one generation.

Vellore Citizen’s Welfare Forum [xiii]

In this case, the Supreme Court observed that sustainable development has come to be accepted as a viable concept to eradicate poverty and improve the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the supporting eco- system.

  The Constitutional aspects on environmental law

The Indian Constitution is amongst the few in the world that contains specific provisions on environment protection. The chapters directive principles of state policy and the fundamental duties are explicitly enunciated the nation commitment to protect and improve the environment. It was the first time when responsibility of protection of the environment imposed upon the states through Constitution (Forty Second Amendment) Act, 1976.

Article 48-A [xiv] the provision reads as follows: “The State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forest and wildlife of the country.”The Amendment also inserted Part VI-A (Fundamental duty) in the Constitution, which reads as follows:

Article 51-A (g ) [xv] “It shall be duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes,, and wildlife and to have compassion for living creature.”

In Sachidanand Pandey v. State of West Bengal [xvi] , the Supreme Court observed “whenever a problem of ecology is brought before the court, the court is bound to bear in mind Article 48-

A and Article 51-A(g).

Environmental protection: the judicial approach

There are numbers of the following judgments which clearly highlight the active role of judiciary in environmental protection these are follows:

(a) The right to a wholesome environment

Charan Lal Sahu Case

The Supreme Court in this case said, the right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution includes the right to a wholesome environment. [xvii]

Damodhar Rao v. S. 0. Municipal Corporation Hyderabad

The Court resorted to the Constitutional mandates under Articles 48A and 51A(g) to support this reasoning and went to the extent of stating that environmental pollution would be a violation of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution [xviii] .

  (b) Public nuisance: the judicial response

Ratlam Municipal Council v. Vardhichand [xix]

The judgment of the Supreme Court in instant case is a land mark in the history of judicial activism in upholding the social justice component of the rule of law by fixing liability on statutory authorities to discharge their legal obligation to the people in abating public nuisance and making the environmental pollution free even if there is a budgetary constraints. , J. Krishna Iyer observed that,” social justice is due to and therefore the people must be able to trigger off the jurisdiction vested for their benefit to any public functioning.”Thus he recognized PIL as a Constitutional obligation of the courts.

(c) Judicial relief encompasses compensation to victims

Delhi gas leak case:  M.C. Mehta v. Union of India [xx] ,

In instant case, the Supreme Court laid down two important principles of law:

1) The power of the Supreme Court to grant remedial relief for a proved infringement of a fundamental right (in case if Article21) includes the power to award compensation.

2) The judgment opened a new frontier in the Indian jurisprudence by introducing a new “no fault” liability standard (absolute liability) for industries engaged in hazardous activities which has brought about radical changes in the liability and compensation laws in India. The new standard makes hazardous industries absolutely liable from the harm resulting from its activities.

(d) Fundamental right to water

The fundamental right to water has evolved in India, not through legislative action but through judicial interpretation. In Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India and Ors ., the Supreme Court of India upheld that “Water is the basic need for the survival of human beings and is part of the right to life and human rights as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India … and the right to healthy environment and to sustainable development are fundamental human rights implicit in the right to life [xxi] .

Conclusion/ Suggestions

 Thus, after the analysis of above cases, we find that, the Supreme Court is, at the present time, stretching the different legal provisions for environmental protection. In this way, the judiciary tries to fill in the gaps where there is laciness of the legislation. These new innovations and developments in India by the judicial activism open the numerous approaches to help the country. In India, the courts are extremely cognizant and cautious about the special nature of environmental rights, considering that the loss of natural resources can’t be renewed. There are some recommendations which need to be considered.

Public Awareness

In India, media is the fourth pillar of the popular government. It plays an exceptionally essential and compelling part in the general improvement of the country. The effect of media can be seen in the different trials directed by it just by publishing them in their media. Accordingly, the issue of environmental pollution can be checked by making mindfulness in the general population, in which media’s part is extremely critical. The compelling agency of correspondence not just influences the mind of the individuals but is also capable of developing thoughts and desirable attitudes of the people for protecting environment.

Regular Inspection

There is a requirement for a standard review apparatus, which can inspect and examine periodically every one of those exercises which are threatening the environment. This would be a successful step towards environment protection, since prevention is better than cure.

Environmental Education

There is no means for any law, unless it’s an effective and successful implementation, and for effective implementation, public awareness is a crucial condition. Therefore, it is essential that there ought to be proper awareness. This contention is additionally maintained by the Apex Court in the instance of M.C. Mehta v. Union of India . In this case, Court directed the Union Government was obliged to issue directions to all the State governments and the union territories to enforce through authorities as a condition for license on all cinema halls, to obligatory display free of expense no less than two slides/messages on environment amid each show. Moreover, Law Commission of India in its 186th report made a proposal for the constitution of the environment court [xxii] . Hence, there is an urgent need to strengthen the hands of judiciary by making separate environmental courts, with a professional judge to manage the environment cases/criminal acts, so that the judiciary can perform its part more viably [xxiii]

Edited by Kanchi Kaushik

[i] MC Mehta, GROWTH OF ENVIRONMENTAL JURISPRUDENCE IN INDIA, p.71, 1999.

[ii] Former Chief Justice Mr. K.G. Balakrishnan, THE ROLE OF THE JUDICIARY IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN D. P SHRIVASTAVA MEMORIAL LECTURE, p. 1, March 20,2010.

[iii] Dr. Jai Jai Ram Upadhyay, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, p.2, Allahabad: Central Law Agency, (2005).

[iv] R.M. Lodha, ENVIRONMENTAL RUIN: THE CRISES OF SURVIVAL, P.364 .New Delhi: Indus Publishing

Company,(1993).

[v] Available at envfor.nic.in/legis/env/env1.html

[vi] ROLE OF THE SUPREME COURT IN THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, available at urisonline.in/2010/…/role-of-supreme-court-in-environment-protection.

[vii] Available at urisonline.in/2010/…/role-of-supreme-court-in-environment-protection .

[viii] AIR 1990 SC 273

[ix] AIR 1996 SCC 212.

[x] 1997)1 SCC 388.

[xi] S .Shanthakumar, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AN INTRODUCTION, pp. 122, 123, Chennai: Surya Publication,

[xii] AIR 1987 SC 1037

[xiii] AIR 1996 5 SCC 647

[xiv] THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, 1950.

[xvi] AIR 1987 SC 1109

[xvii] HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH TOWARDS POLLUTION FREE ENVIRONMENT, available at www.indiastat.com/Article/14/indira/fulltext.pdf – United States

[xviii] C. M. ABRAHAM and SUSHILA ABRAHAM, THE BHOPAL CASE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW IN INDIA P. 362, Vol. 40 International and Comparative Law Quarterly April 1991,

available at http://heinonline.org

[xix] AIR 1980 SC 1622

[xx] AIR 1987 SC 965

[xxi] Vrinda Narain,WATER AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT : A PERSPECTIVE FROM INDIA Vol. 34 available at www.vjel.org/docs/Narain_Water_Draft.pdf

[xxii] One hundred eighty sixth report of Law Commission available at lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/186th%20report.pdf

[xxiii] M.V Ranga Rao, ROLE OF JUDICIARY IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,p.9, vol.3, Supreme Court Journal, September- December, (2001).

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6 thoughts on “The Role of Indian Judiciary in Protection of Environment in India”

this article has nicely covered the environmental issues and the approach of judiciary towards it.really helpful.

Thanks for this article..Excellent one very informative.. kudos…..

Interesting and informative Artice:)

very nice article..it helped me a lot in my exams.. thankyou… for publushing such a important article

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I like the way this article is written. The chronological sequence of every para is well versed. Thank you for overall insight on role of judiciary.

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Companies are scrambling to meet the demands of the disruptive post-pandemic business environment. They are creating new functions even as they confront a huge change in the composition of the workforce

For the past two years, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has gone to business schools specifically looking for graduates inclined towards digital commerce. That’s nothing unusual, except that traditional sales and marketing functions have made way for new job descriptions. It indicates a changing India where many opportunities have forced companies regardless of size to look for talent but with a difference, and this comes forth in the BT -Taggd survey of The Best Companies to Work For in India this year. 

Just what is the change? Today’s talent—and there’s plenty of that in India—is looking for a new set of challenges and new-age roles. For them, a sales and marketing job is passé. For instance, HUL has created the position of e-commerce manager. Large FMCG companies see around 10% of their revenues in the digital age coming from e-commerce channels, and even the most conservative estimates suggest the number could touch 30% by the end of the decade. Besides, every company recognises the need to have a closer look at their business. That has led to the creation of new positions, with clear job descriptions.

“All this is in line with the change we are bringing about in each of our businesses,” says Anuradha Razdan, Executive Director (HR) and CHRO, HUL & Unilever South Asia. 

This process will test the mettle of the best companies as the workforce gets reoriented across levels.

“ At senior management levels, we are seeing a greater focus on reskilling with a robust understanding of tech. It is pushing them to focus a lot more on cognitive, EQ and leadership skills ” DEEPTI SAGAR Chief People and Experience Officer Deloitte India

Redefining Roles

This change is recent. Around a decade ago, any large organisation had a defined set of positions. There was a CFO, a CHRO, a CMO, a COO and, of course, a CEO. “Today, a Chief Data Officer or a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) are realities,” says Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD & CEO of recruitment and staffing services firm CIEL HR. Apart from talent wanting new-age roles, they also see the need to specialise in one area, he adds. 

Earlier, only a CTO would suffice; but in several companies there is a need for a CISO as well. “In a lot of industries, data protection is an important piece and a part of the overall boardroom agenda. A generalist may not fit the bill here in an age of such a specialised need,” explains Mishra. 

Speaking of new-age sectors—such as companies in the tech space—finance is a key role. Mishra points out that these firms tend to have a Chief Accounting Officer as well as a CFO. “For these companies, fundraising is a big part of their overall business. A CFO may be very good with a treasury function, but this is a very different requirement.” 

Likewise, a CHRO is now complemented by a Chief Talent Officer, who looks after the employer brand and areas related to talent management but will not oversee, say, issues related to payroll.

Digitisation has expedited the extent to which technology dominates business functions in a post-pandemic world. The consensus among experts is that what would have taken a decade to change, has happened in less than two years. The thrust on AI and its impact on our lives has been profound and the stage is set for an extremely dynamic future. 

Deepti Sagar, Chief People and Experience Officer at consultancy Deloitte India, says job profiles across levels at her organisation are being driven by technological disruptions, economic advances, and a progressive business ecosystem. 

“There are also macro trends like a heightened focus on ESG and an increasing proportion of Gen Z at work. All this means there is a significant shift in client demands and requirements from professional services,” she says. The result of this is a greater focus on newer job families and skills. “In the last 12-18 months, this has further been accelerated by the advent of Gen AI.”

“ For these [new-age tech] companies, fundraising is a big part of their overall business. A CFO may be very good with a treasury function, but this is a very different requirement ” ADITYA NARAYAN MISHRA MD & CEO CIEL HR

Time to Reorient

But one can’t just bet on tech disruption. For instance, in many industries it was believed that technology would supersede (and even replace) the conventional ways of doing business. But that has not been the case. For example, edtech flourished at one point, but once classrooms were back in vogue, its popularity waned. 

Mishra points out that large conglomerates like the Tata group, Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, and the likes of Asian Paints and HUL struck up a healthy combination of both new-age and conventional methods of doing business. “The Tatas, for instance, launched Cliq and Neu, and even reoriented some of their older businesses like automobiles. However, it has been marked by judiciousness in investment at all levels.”

A new-age organisation needs people across levels to have a better understanding of the business. Bhavishya Sharma, MD of Athena Executive Search & Consulting, says a CFO, for instance, must necessarily grasp what social media is all about and its impact, without operating in a silo. The new B2C companies run on these fundamentals and that, over time, helps the more conventional businesses become more agile, he explains. 

“A large FMCG major today needs to look at its channel of distribution from the perspective of adding digitisation attributes. The reorientation is not only for the freshers off campus, but a reskilling across levels is the big theme.” He speaks of a large consumer company that his organisation works with where the requirement was to have a gamification of training for its blue-collar workers. “That was never the case before and it is an indication of how much things have changed.”

Deloitte’s Sagar highlights how at the entry level, jobs related to technology, AI, creativity, and sustainability are in demand. “At the mid- and senior management [levels], we are witnessing a greater focus on reskilling with a robust understanding of technology. It is pushing them to focus a lot more on cognitive, EQ (emotional quotient) and leadership skills to [get the] best out of the new generation and hone future leaders in an era of AI,” she explains.

For an organisation, a lot depends on where it is today and the industry it is in. While bifurcation of functions is very much the “done thing” today, a big development can radically change how the business is viewed. In that context, Sharma of Athena cites the example of, say, a conventional company on a steady growth path, being acquired by a private equity fund. “Suddenly, areas like cloud service and security become very critical. The company starts to invest in that and the composition of the workforce can look very different,” he says.

While the workforce is changing, where are we in terms of the change cycle? Ronesh Puri, MD of executive search firm Executive Access, says this is the beginning of a phase of much bigger changes. “The opportunities lie in the throes of multiple changes. In the next five years, we will see a transformation across businesses that will be more profound than what we saw over the last two decades.” 

That will happen because India is getting a lot of global attention and it being the fastest-growing major economy makes for a heady combination, he says. “The quantum of action has increased manifold across industries and we are still in second gear. For companies, the bet is on getting it right tomorrow and to make that possible, it needs to lay the foundation today.”

Puri says the need is for transformational leaders who have a clear vision of the future. “Companies are looking for talent with adaptability, humility, maturity, and confidence. The focus is on execution skills, people skills and the ability to look at the larger picture.” Much as strategy will be a key ingredient, a sound understanding of the market is necessary.

For recruiters, the FMCG sector was a happy hunting ground for talent. Executives from this space could easily move to industries like telecommunications and insurance, given their experience in sales, marketing and distribution. Sharma says this will not work anymore. People position themselves these days as growth experts with experience across sectors, he says. “Be it consumer or automobiles, they have the confidence to pull it off,” says Sharma. That is an indication of how things have changed and are likely to change in the times to come.

“ Companies are looking for talent with adaptability, humility, maturity, and confidence. The focus is on execution skills, people skills and the ability to look at the larger picture ” Ronesh Puri  Managing Director Executive Access

Puri of Executive Access says the need for premium talent will always remain, and those candidates demonstrating a hunger for growth will command a higher premium. “Nomenclatures will change when it comes to job titles but the person who can effect change is the one you want to recruit,” he says. In the middle of this disruption, employees who have been with an organisation for a long time may not gain substantially if they are unable to be a part of the change, adds Puri. In the coming years, the ability to manage change will command even more premium. “New blood coming in means challenging the status quo. A leaner and hungrier organisation with a constant focus on reorientation is what we are going to see for many years.”

As a result of this transformation, functions like data entry and analytics-led jobs have already been replaced, says Deloitte’s Sagar. “We see a lot more demand for roles like tech architecture, green UI/UX, cloud engineering, business experience, and insights management,” she says. “For example, clients can deploy Gen AI to design a new-age intuitive dashboard but would need help from partners like us for deriving real-time insights and driving a value-accretive call to action.” It means her clients need to be served across the end-to-end transformation cycle as opposed to just “advise, implement or operate cycles”. 

These days, roles and job responsibilities are being aligned with global requirements specifically in the context where a sizeable portion of the tech delivery for global clients takes place out of India. “There could be minor variations to suit the local market, but overall, new-age job families and skills are aligned with global changes,” she says.

That only demonstrates how much India Inc. needs to do to get the best out of its talent. But to do that, companies themselves need to continuously go through the process of reorientation. There is no letting up on that.

In the pages that follow, read about how companies are coping with these trends.  

UI Developer : Pankaj Negi Creative Producer : Raj Verma Illustrations : Anirban Ghosh

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There’s a New Covid Variant. What Will That Mean for Spring and Summer?

Experts are closely watching KP.2, now the leading variant.

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By Dani Blum

For most of this year, the JN.1 variant of the coronavirus accounted for an overwhelming majority of Covid cases . But now, an offshoot variant called KP.2 is taking off. The variant, which made up just one percent of cases in the United States in mid-March, now makes up over a quarter.

KP.2 belongs to a subset of Covid variants that scientists have cheekily nicknamed “FLiRT,” drawn from the letters in the names of their mutations. They are descendants of JN.1, and KP.2 is “very, very close” to JN.1, said Dr. David Ho, a virologist at Columbia University. But Dr. Ho has conducted early lab tests in cells that suggest that slight differences in KP.2’s spike protein might make it better at evading our immune defenses and slightly more infectious than JN.1.

While cases currently don’t appear to be on the rise, researchers and physicians are closely watching whether the variant will drive a summer surge.

“I don’t think anybody’s expecting things to change abruptly, necessarily,” said Dr. Marc Sala, co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center in Chicago. But KP.2 will most likely “be our new norm,’” he said. Here’s what to know.

The current spread of Covid

Experts said it would take several weeks to see whether KP.2 might lead to a rise in Covid cases, and noted that we have only a limited understanding of how the virus is spreading. Since the public health emergency ended , there is less robust data available on cases, and doctors said fewer people were using Covid tests.

But what we do know is reassuring: Despite the shift in variants, data from the C.D.C. suggests there are only “minimal ” levels of the virus circulating in wastewater nationally, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations fell between early March and late April.

“I don’t want to say that we already know everything about KP.2,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System. “But at this time, I’m not seeing any major indications of anything ominous.”

Protection from vaccines and past infections

Experts said that even if you had JN.1, you may still get reinfected with KP.2 — particularly if it’s been several months or longer since your last bout of Covid.

KP.2 could infect even people who got the most updated vaccine, Dr. Ho said, since that shot targets XBB.1.5, a variant that is notably different from JN.1 and its descendants. An early version of a paper released in April by researchers in Japan suggested that KP.2 might be more adept than JN.1 at infecting people who received the most recent Covid vaccine. (The research has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.) A spokesperson for the C.D.C. said the agency was continuing to monitor how vaccines perform against KP.2.

Still, the shot does provide some protection, especially against severe disease, doctors said, as do previous infections. At this point, there isn’t reason to believe that KP.2 would cause more severe illness than other strains, the C.D.C. spokesperson said. But people who are 65 and older, pregnant or immunocompromised remain at higher risk of serious complications from Covid.

Those groups, in particular, may want to get the updated vaccine if they haven’t yet, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. The C.D.C. has recommended t hat people 65 and older who already received one dose of the updated vaccine get an additional shot at least four months later.

“Even though it’s the lowest level of deaths and hospitalizations we’ve seen, I’m still taking care of sick people with Covid,” he said. “And they all have one unifying theme, which is that they’re older and they didn’t get the latest shot.”

The latest on symptoms and long Covid

Doctors said that the symptoms of both KP.2 and JN.1 — which now makes up around 16 percent of cases — are most likely similar to those seen with other variants . These include sore throat, runny nose, coughing, head and body aches, fever, congestion, fatigue and in severe cases, shortness of breath. Fewer people lose their sense of taste and smell now than did at the start of the pandemic, but some people will still experience those symptoms.

Dr. Chin-Hong said that patients were often surprised that diarrhea, nausea and vomiting could be Covid symptoms as well, and that they sometimes confused those issues as signs that they had norovirus .

For many people who’ve already had Covid, a reinfection is often as mild or milder than their first case. While new cases of long Covid are less common now than they were at the start of the pandemic, repeat infections do raise the risk of developing long Covid, said Fikadu Tafesse, a virologist at Oregon Health & Science University. But researchers are still trying to determine by how much — one of many issues scientists are trying to untangle as the pandemic continues to evolve.

“That’s the nature of the virus,” Dr. Tafesse said. “It keeps mutating.”

Dani Blum is a health reporter for The Times. More about Dani Blum