Let us begin with a fundamental truth: Most environmental laws in India are written in blood—after disasters expose legal gaps. India’s framework on chemical disaster management evolved largely after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984), which revealed the absence of specialised environmental laws to deal with industrial catastrophes. 📜 Key Legislations for Protection Against Chemical Disasters…
Let us begin with a basic but crucial question: If genetic engineering can improve agriculture, medicine and industry, why does it need strict regulation? The answer lies in biosafety. A genetically engineered organism, if released irresponsibly, can: To prevent such risks, India notified the Rules for Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989, commonly referred…
🗂️ Background Think of India’s coastline as a highly sensitive boundary—where land meets sea, and where human activity directly impacts fragile ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs, estuaries, and fishing livelihoods. To regulate this delicate interface, India introduced the concept of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). 📜 Origin of CRZ Rules (1991) In 1991, coastal areas…
Why was the NGT created? The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 was enacted to ensure the speedy and effective disposal of environmental cases.It draws its constitutional spirit from Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the Right to Life, judicially interpreted to include the right to a clean and healthy environment. 👉 Earlier, environmental…
🗂️ Background Let us first understand why India needed a Biodiversity Law at all. India is one of the 17 mega-biodiverse countries of the world. Along with rich biodiversity, India also possesses immense traditional knowledge, especially related to medicinal plants, agriculture, and indigenous practices. However, for decades, foreign entities exploited these resources without sharing benefits….
Forest Rights Act, 2006 Now we arrive at the most people-centric forest law in India — the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA 2006). Why Was the Forest Rights Act, 2006 Enacted? For over a century, India’s forest laws — especially the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and later the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 — were:→ State-centric→…
Indian Forest Act, 1927 Why Do We Start with the Indian Forest Act, 1927? Before independence, forests were not seen as ecological assets. They were seen as: The Indian Forest Act was enacted by the British colonial government by consolidating earlier forest laws — especially the Indian Forest Act, 1878. 👉 This Act laid the…
Why Are Licensing Rules Needed in Wildlife Law? Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, certain activities involving wildlife are not outright banned, but strictly regulated. These include: 👉 For such activities, licensing becomes the control mechanism. Without licensing: Background of the 2024 Licensing Rules After four decades, wildlife governance has changed due to: 👉 Hence,…
Aspect WPA 1972 WPA 2022(Amendment Act) Core Objective (Scope of the Act) Focused on protection of wild animals, birds, and plants to ensure ecological and environmental security. Scope expanded to “protection, conservation, and management of wildlife”, indicating a shift from mere protection to active management. Invasive Alien Species (IAS) No provision or definition related to…
Why Was the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 Needed? In the decades after Independence, India faced: Wildlife protection laws existed earlier, but they were: 👉 Therefore, India needed a uniform, strong, national law to protect wildlife. This led to the enactment of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, commonly called WPA 1972. Territorial Applicability of WPA…
