These detailed notes cover Part 1 of environmental planning and management for OPSC/OAS: the conceptual foundation of environment and sustainable development, India’s environmental legal framework, the key regulators and tribunals, international environmental organisations and Odisha’s institutional arrangements. Recent developments—the NGT’s jurisdiction limits, the 2023 Biological Diversity Amendment, UNEA-6 and Similipal’s national park status—are incorporated because OPSC has begun asking current institutional questions.
Basic Concepts: Environment, Degradation and Natural Capital
Environment is the sum total of conditions surrounding an organism at a given point of time, encompassing physical, biological and cultural elements. UPPSC (Pre) 2006 It is a composite state of biotic factors (plants, animals, microbes), abiotic factors (air, water, soil, minerals) and physiographic factors (landforms, relief, drainage). BPSC (Pre) 2011
Natural capital refers to the stock of natural assets—forests, water, minerals, soil, biodiversity—that yield a flow of goods and services. Roads are man-made physical capital, not natural capital. UPPSC (Pre) 2012
Environmental degradation means the deterioration of environmental attributes through adverse human-induced changes, resulting in ecological imbalance. UPPSC (Pre) 2006 The term ‘sixth mass extinction’ refers to the ongoing biodiversity crisis driven by human over-exploitation of natural resources, habitat fragmentation and loss, ecosystem destruction, pollution and climate change. IAS (Pre) 2018
Sustainable development integrates environmental protection (biodiversity conservation, pollution control) with social equity (poverty reduction). UP Lower Sub (Pre) 2004 The Brundtland definition stresses meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
India’s Environmental Legal Framework
India’s environmental law has evolved in layers, often in response to specific disasters or international commitments. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986—enacted after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy—is called umbrella legislation because it empowers the Centre to frame rules across environmental sectors without separate laws. MPPSC (Pre) 2013 UP UDA/LDA (Pre) 2013
| Law | Year and core provision |
|---|---|
| Wildlife (Protection) Act | 1972; protects wild animals and plants; Schedules I–VI |
| Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act | 1974; created CPCB and SPCBs |
| Forest (Conservation) Act | 1980; restricts diversion of forest land without central approval UPPSC (Pre) 2017 |
| Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act | 1981; assigned air-quality functions to CPCB/SPCBs |
| Environment (Protection) Act | 1986; umbrella legislation; EIA Notification 2006 under it UP UDA/LDA (Pre) 2013 |
| Biological Diversity Act | 2002; three-tier structure (NBA, SBBs, BMCs); amended in 2023 2023 |
| National Green Tribunal Act | 2010; specialised environmental tribunal JPSC (Pre) 2016 |
National Green Tribunal: jurisdiction and recent limits
The NGT was established in 2010 under the NGT Act, 2010, for expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources, including enforcement of environmental legal rights and relief and compensation. 2025 Sections 14 and 16 confer original and appellate jurisdiction respectively. 2025
Crucially, the Supreme Court has repeatedly clarified that the NGT’s jurisdiction is confined to violations of specific statutory obligations contained in Schedule I enactments (such as the Water Act, Air Act, EPA, Forest Conservation Act, Wildlife Act and Biological Diversity Act). 2025 The NGT cannot interfere with statutory town planning exercises where no substantial environmental question under Schedule I arises, 2025 and it has no power to direct an Enforcement Directorate probe under the PMLA. 2025 Non-compliance with NGT orders is punishable under Section 26 with imprisonment up to three years or fine up to ₹10 crore, with an additional ₹25,000 per day for continuing contravention. 2025
- NGT is not a court with blanket appellate jurisdiction over all civil courts; its jurisdiction is tied to Schedule I laws. 2025
- NGT does not try criminal cases; it adjudicates civil environmental matters.
Biological Diversity Act and the 2023 Amendment
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002, operationalised through a three-tier structure—National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at Chennai, State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs)—came into force in 2003. 2024 The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, effective from 1 April 2024, decriminalised certain offences, distinguished Indian and non-Indian entities, encouraged cultivation of medicinal plants, and fast-tracked research and patent applications while safeguarding the objectives of the CBD and Nagoya Protocol. 2024 Indian applicants now require prior permission from the SBB (not NBA) for commercial access to bioresources, except for codified traditional knowledge. 2026
Regulators: CPCB, SPCBs and Consent Mechanism
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was constituted under the Water Act, 1974, and later entrusted with functions under the Air Act, 1981. 2024 State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) are also statutory bodies, established under the same Acts. 2024 Their core regulatory instrument is the Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) regime: no industry can be established or operated without prior consent from the SPCB, and consent conditions enforce emission and effluent standards. 2024
The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) enforces the Water Act 1974, Air Act 1981 and Environment (Protection) Act 1986. 2024 It operates an online consent management system and has integrated CTE services into the state’s GO-SWIFT single-window portal for time-bound clearances. 2024
TSR Subramaniam Panel and Proposed Reforms
The High Level Committee chaired by T.S.R. Subramanian reviewed six cornerstone environmental laws and submitted 55 major recommendations. 2024 Its centrepiece proposal was a new umbrella law—the Environment Laws (Management) Act (ELMA)—to create a National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and State Environment Management Authorities (SEMA) as full-time expert bodies for project appraisal and compliance monitoring. 2024 The panel also recommended integrating the Water and Air Acts into the new law and subsuming CPCB and SPCBs into NEMA and SEMA respectively. 2024 These recommendations have not been implemented; they remain a proposal. 2025
- ELMA/NEMA/SEMA are proposals, not existing institutions. Do not treat them as operational bodies.
- The panel reviewed six laws, not just the five commonly listed; the sixth is the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
International Environmental Organisations and Fora
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya—the first UN agency headquartered in the Global South. JPSC (Pre) 2016 The UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) is its governing body and the world’s highest-level environmental decision-making forum. UNEA-6, held in Nairobi from 26 February to 1 March 2024, adopted 15 resolutions and two decisions aimed at the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution. 2024
Greenpeace International is headquartered in Amsterdam. UPPSC (Mains) 2005 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is not a UN organ; it is a membership union of governments and civil society, and it publishes the Red List of Threatened Species.
Environmental Movements and Key Leaders
| Movement | Leader / key fact |
|---|---|
| Chipko Movement (1973) | Sundarlal Bahuguna, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Gaura Devi (Rajni village, Chamoli); against deforestation MPPSC (Pre) 2014 |
| Appiko Movement (1983) | Pandurang Hegde; Karnataka’s southern counterpart |
| Narmada Bachao Andolan (1985) | Medha Patkar; against the Sardar Sarovar Dam MPPSC (Pre) 2016 |
| Silent Valley Movement | Kerala; saved a tropical rainforest from a hydel project UP Lower Sub (Pre) 2009 |
Days, Awards and Institutions
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| International Earth Day | 22 April MPPSC (Pre) 2018 |
| World Water Day | 22 March UPPSC (Pre) 2011 |
| World Toilet Day | 19 November UPPSC (Pre) 2015 |
| Global 500 Award | Environmental achievement UPPSC (Mains) 2005 |
| Tyler Prize | Environment protection UPRO/ARO (Pre) 2004 |
| Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar | Significant contribution to environment UPPSC (Mains) 2004 |
| Rajiv Gandhi Environment Award | Clean technology and development UPPSC (Mains) 2006 |
| ISO 14001 | Environmental Management System certification SSC CGL 2020 |
Species, Protected Areas and Current Issues
India’s national aquatic animal is the Gangetic dolphin. IAS (Pre) 2015 The Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative is a collaboration among India, China and Nepal. UKPSC (Pre) 2016 The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve includes the Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries and the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. IAS (Pre) 2019
The 2018 outbreak in Gir National Park that killed lions was caused by Canine Distemper Virus. CDS 2019 UNESCO World Heritage national parks in India include Keoladeo, Sunderbans and Kaziranga, but not Ranthambore. CDS 2018 Remote sensing is used to estimate chlorophyll content in vegetation, greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddies and land surface temperature. IAS (Pre) 2019
Odisha Angle: Institutional and Protected-Area Framework
Odisha’s environmental governance is anchored in the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), which enforces the Water Act, Air Act and EPA, and issues CTE and CTO through an online system integrated with GO-SWIFT. 2024 The Odisha Biodiversity Board, headquartered in Bhubaneswar, functions under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and the state notified the Odisha Biological Diversity Rules in 2012. 2024
Similipal in Mayurbhanj district was formally declared a National Park in April 2025, becoming India’s 107th National Park and Odisha’s second after Bhitarkanika. 2025 It is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (part of the World Network since 2009), a Tiger Reserve and an Elephant Reserve. 2025 Similipal covers 845.70 sq km as a national park and is home to the world’s only wild population of melanistic (black) tigers, about 40 wild tigers, 25% of Odisha’s elephants and 104 orchid species. 2025 The state is implementing the Greater Similipal Landscape Programme with AI-powered camera towers, V-SAT communication and a dedicated security force, and has introduced two female tigers from Tadoba to boost the population towards 100 by 2036. 2025
IMAGE (Map): Map of Odisha marking Similipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park and the OSPCB regional office locations.
Labels: Similipal (Mayurbhanj), Bhitarkanika (Kendrapara), OSPCB head office (Bhubaneswar) and regional offices (Balasore, Kalinganagar, etc.).
Caption: Odisha’s protected areas and pollution-regulation infrastructure.
Find it: Odisha Forest Department map or OSPCB website; or draw from the districts named in these notes.
Practice Questions
The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 is called umbrella legislation because
- It replaced all previous environmental laws
- It empowers the Centre to frame rules across environmental sectors without separate laws
- It created the National Green Tribunal
- It applies only to union territories
Show answer
(b) – EPA 1986 provides overarching rule-making power across environmental sectors; it did not replace earlier laws. MPPSC (Pre) 2013
Consider the following statements about the National Green Tribunal:
- It was established in 2010 under the NGT Act.
- Its jurisdiction is confined to violations of Schedule I enactments.
- It can try criminal cases related to wildlife.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
(b) – Statements 1 and 2 are correct. NGT adjudicates civil environmental matters; it does not try criminal cases. 2025
The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, effective from 1 April 2024, primarily aimed to
- Increase criminal penalties for biopiracy
- Decriminalise certain offences and encourage cultivation of medicinal plants
- Replace the National Biodiversity Authority with NEMA
- Ban all access to biological resources by foreign entities
Show answer
(b) – The 2023 amendment decriminalised certain provisions, distinguished Indian and non-Indian entities, and encouraged medicinal plant cultivation while safeguarding CBD/Nagoya objectives. 2024
Consider the following pairs:
| Institution / proposal | Status |
|---|---|
| 1. NEMA | Operational statutory body |
| 2. CPCB | Statutory body under Water Act 1974 |
| 3. NGT | Statutory tribunal under NGT Act 2010 |
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
(b) – Pairs 2 and 3 are correct. NEMA is a proposal of the TSR Subramaniam panel, not an operational body. 2024
UNEA-6, held in 2024, adopted 15 resolutions focused on
- The triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution
- Nuclear disarmament
- Trade liberalisation
- Space exploration
Show answer
(a) – UNEA-6, held in Nairobi in 2024, adopted 15 resolutions and two decisions on the triple planetary crisis. 2024
Which of the following statements about Similipal is/are correct?
- It was declared India’s 107th National Park in 2025.
- It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
- It is home to the world’s only wild population of melanistic tigers.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- I and II only
- II and III only
- I and III only
- I, II and III
Show answer
(d) – All three statements are correct. Similipal became India’s 107th National Park in April 2025; it is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and hosts the only wild melanistic tigers. 2025