RAJ IAS ACADEMY 11th July, 2022 Page 1

RAJ MALHOTRA’S IAS ACADEMY, CHANDIGARH

PRELIMS BOOSTER 2
Northern Zonal Council 2
Sustainable Use of Wild Species 3
Red Pandas 4
National Internet Exchange of India 4
Cloudbursts 5
Pasmanda Muslims 5
Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council 6
Monuments of National Importance 7
Polavaram Project 7
MCQs 7
EDITORIAL SIMPLIFIED 9
Norms for vehicular safety 9
Proposed amendments to the green laws 11

 RAJ IAS ACADEMY 11th July, 2022 Page 2

PRELIMS BOOSTER
Northern Zonal Council
Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over the 30th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council
held at Jaipur, Rajasthan. The Council deliberated on the issues of internal security, road,
transport, industries, water, power, cyber-crime and other subjects of common interests for eight
northern States and Union Territories.

Background -

• The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the rst PM Nehru in 1956.

• This was suggested during the course of debate on the report of the States Re-organisation
Commission.

• It was suggested that a high-level advisory forum should be set up —

• to minimise the impact of linguistic hostilities prevailed at that time;

• to create healthy inter-State and Centre-State environment.

About -

• In the light of the idea promoted by the then PM Nehru, ve Zonal Councils were set up under
the States Re-organisation Act, 1956. Zonal Councils are the statutory and not the
constitutional bodies.

• The ve councils are — The Northern Zonal Council; The Central Zonal Council; The Eastern
Zonal Council; The Western Zonal Council; The Southern Zonal Council.

• The North Eastern States are not included in the Zonal Councils. Their special problems are
looked after by the North Eastern Council, set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972.

Objectives -

The main objectives of setting up of Zonal Councils are as under:

• Bringing out national integration;

• Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguistic and particularistic
tendencies;

• Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences;

• Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst the States for successful and speedy
execution of development projects.

Organisational structure of the zonal councils -

• Chairman — The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.

• Vice Chairman — The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-
Chairman of the Zonal Council for that zone by rotation, each holding o ce for a period of one
year at a time.

• Members — Chief Minister and two other Ministers as nominated by the Governor from
each of the States and two members from Union Territories included in the zone.

• Advisers — One person nominated by the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) for each
of the Zonal Councils, Chief Secretaries and another o cer/Development Commissioner
nominated by each of the States included in the Zone

• Union Ministers are also invited to participate in the meetings of Zonal Councils depending
upon necessity.

Functions -

• Each Zonal Council is an advisory body and may discuss any matter in which some or all of the
States represented in that Council have a common interest.

• It may advise the Central Government and the Government of each State concerned as to
the action to be taken on any such matter.

• In particular, a Zonal Council may discuss, and make recommendations with regard to:

• any matter of common interest in the eld of economic and social planning;

• any matter concerning border disputes, linguistic minorities or inter-State transport;

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RAJ IAS ACADEMY 11th July, 2022 Page 3
• any matter connected with or arising out of the re-organisation of the States under the
States Reorganisation Act.

Sustainable Use of Wild Species

According to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity

and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), 50,000 wild species meet the needs of billions of people around
the world. The accelerating global biodiversity crisis, which threatens the extinction of a million
plant and animal species, jeopardises these contributions to people.

About IPBES -

• The IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body established in Panama City, on 21

April 2012 by 94 Governments.

• At present, it comprises 139 member Governments and is often described as the “IPCC for
biodiversity.”

• It aims to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services
for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and
sustainable development.

• It provides policymakers with objective scienti c assessments of the state of knowledge

about the planet's biodiversity, ecosystems and the contributions they make to people.

• It also provides tools and methods for protecting and using these vital natural assets in a
sustainable manner.

• It is not a United Nations body, but at the request of the IPBES Plenary and with the
authorisation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council (in
2013), the UNEP provides secretariat services to IPBES.

Findings of the report -

• Use of wild species -

• People use approximately -

• 7,500 species of wild sh and aquatic invertebrates,

• 31,100 species of wild plants,

• 7,400 of which are trees,

• 1,500 species of fungi,

• 1,700 species of wild terrestrial invertebrates, and

• 7,500 species of wild amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

• An estimated one in every ve people worldwide rely on wild plants, algae and fungi for food,
nutritional diversity and income.

• This is true particularly for women, children, landless farmers and others in vulnerable
situations.

• Trade in wild species -

• Trade in wild plants, algae and fungi for food, medicine, hygiene, energy and ornamental use
is increasing.

• There is a growing demand for wild foods in the food and aromatics industries.

• People rely on wild species for variety of reasons -

• The report shows that humans rely on 50,000 wild species (of plants and animals) for a
variety of reasons.

• This includes food, energy, medicine, materials and other necessities.

• Over-exploitation as a major reason for biodiversity loss -

• The over-exploitation of wild species is one of the primary causes of biodiversity loss. For
example,

• Unsustainable shing is the main cause for the increased extinction risk of sharks and rays
over the past half century.

• Unsustainable hunting has been identi ed as a threat for 1,341 wild mammal species,
including 669 species that were assessed as threatened.

• An estimated 12% of wild tree species are threatened by unsustainable logging and
unsustainable gathering is one of the main threats for several plant groups, notably cacti,
cycads and orchids.

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 RAJ IAS ACADEMY 11th July, 2022 Page 4
• The accelerating global biodiversity crisis, which threatens the extinction of a million plant
and animal species, jeopardises these contributions to people.

Recommendations to promote sustainable use of wild species -

• Promote Policy options that —

• Are inclusive and participatory.

• Recognise and support multiple forms of knowledge.

• Ensure fair and equitable distribution of costs and bene ts.

• Are context-speci c.

• Are aligned at the international, national, regional and local levels.

• Monitoring of wild species and practices.

• Policy instruments that build robust institutions, including customary institutions.

Red Pandas
The Singalila National Park in West Bengal, will soon get new red pandas.

Details -

• A zoo in the picturesque Darjeeling Hills has started an ambitious programme to augment the
wild red panda population.

• In the rst rewilding programme of red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) in India, the Padmaja Naidu
Himalayan Zoological Park will release 20 of these furry endangered mammals in about ve
years to the forests.

• The number of red pandas has been declining in the wild, even in the Singalila and Neora
Valley National Parks, the two protected areas where the mammal is found in the wild in West
Bengal.

• Recent studies estimate that there are 38 of them in Singalila and 32 in Neora.

• The Padmaja Naidu park, at a height of about 2,000 metres above the sea level, is one of the
high-altitude zoos in the country and has been quite successful in captive breeding of the furry
mammals.

Important facts -
• About 5,000-6,000 red pandas are estimated to be present in four Indian states – Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim and West Bengal.

• This is the second-largest population after China (6,000-7,000).

• Nepal accounts for 580 animals, while Bhutan and Myanmar have no estimate of the animal’s
population.

About red panda -

• The red panda is a small reddish-brown arboreal mammal.

• It is listed as Endangered in the IUCN red list of Threatened Species and under Schedule I of the
Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• It is found in the forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan and the northern mountains of Myanmar and
southern China.

• It thrives best at 2,200-4,800m, in mixed deciduous and conifer forests with dense under
stories of bamboo.

National Internet Exchange of India

National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is introducing Internet Exchanges in Durgapur and
Bardhaman to improve quality of Internet and Broadband services in West Bengal and nearby
regions. It’s an initiative under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) vision
1000 days.

About NIXI -

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RAJ IAS ACADEMY 11th July, 2022 Page 5
• NIXI is a not for pro t Organisation under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, and was
registered on 19th June, 2003. It works under the overall aegis of Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology.

• NIXI was set up for peering of ISPs among themselves for the purpose of routing the
domestic tra c within the country, instead of taking it all the way to US/Abroad, thereby
resulting in better quality of service (reduced latency) and reduced bandwidth charges for ISPs
by saving on International Bandwidth. NIXI is managed and operated on a Neutral basis, in line
with the best practices for such initiatives globally.

• .IN is India’s Country Code Top Level domain (ccTLD). The Government of India delegated
the operations of INRegistry to NIXI in 2004. The INRegistry operates and manages India’s .IN
ccTLD.

• Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN) in India provides allocation and
registration services of IP addresses and AS numbers, and contributes to the society by
providing Internet-related information as a non-pro t, a liation-based organisation, and
performing research, education and enlightenment activities.

Cloudbursts
Sudden, “highly-localised rains” in Amarnath, Jammu and Kashmir, on July 8 caused ooding and
led to the deaths of at least 16 people and injuries to more than 20 others.

What is a cloudburst?
• Cloudbursts are short-duration, intense rainfall events over a small area.

• According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it is a weather phenomenon with

unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm/h (or 10 cm per hour) over a geographical
region of approximately 20-30 square km.

• During the cloudburst, the relative humidity and cloud cover was at the maximum level with
low temperature and slow winds. It happens because a high amount of clouds may get
condensed at a very rapid rate and result in a cloudburst.

Will we see more such cloudbursts?

Several studies have shown that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of
cloudbursts in many cities across the globe.

Can we predict cloudbursts?

It is an extremely challenging task and is very di cult to model cloudburst. For hourly rainfall and
cloudbursts, it is very di cult to simulate the intensity and location.

Pasmanda Muslims
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the BJP national executive in Hyderabad to reach out to
“deprived and downtrodden sections” in communities other than Hindus, which includes groups
such as Pasmanda Muslims in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Details -

• A Persian word, ‘Pasmanda’, means the ‘ones left behind’, and is used to describe depressed
classes among the Muslims, while underlining their deliberate or conscious exclusion.

• Pasmanda has become an umbrella identity used by backward, Dalit, and tribal Muslims to
push back against caste-based discrimination against them within the community.

• The term ‘Pasmanda Muslims’ was rst used in 1998 by Ali Anwar Ansari when he founded
the Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz. The Sachar Committee in its report put the number of OBC and
SC/ST Muslims at 40% (all India 2004-05).

Are Muslims divided along caste lines?

• Muslim society in India consists of several status groups or biradaris that are broadly sorted
in three categories: the Ashrafs (the ‘noble’ elite or the ‘honourable ones’), the Ajlafs (backward
Muslims), and the Arzals (Dalit Muslims).

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• While Islam does not mandate the creation of such groups, these caste categories are a lived
reality for Muslims across the country.

Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council

A tribal council in Meghalaya has called for a meeting of traditional heads to revisit the Instrument
of Accession, that made the Khasi domain a part of the Indian Union seven decades ago.

Details -

• Meghalaya is divided into three regions dominated by as many matrilineal communities — the
Khasis, Garos and Jaintias. The Khasi hills straddle 25 Himas or States that formed the
Federation of Khasi States.

• Titosstarwell Chyne, the chief executive member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District
Council (KHADC) agreed that the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement signed
with the Dominion of India between December 15, 1947 and March 19, 1948, should be
studied.

• The treaty was signed by Governor General of India, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, on August
17, 1948. 

About the ‘Sixth Schedule’ -

• The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 provides for the formation of autonomous
administrative divisions — Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) — that have some
legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state.

• ADCs have up to 30 members with a term of ve years, and can make laws, rules and
regulations with regard to land, forest, water, agriculture, village councils, health,
sanitation, village- and town-level policing, inheritance, marriage and divorce, social
customs and mining, etc.

• The Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam is an exception with more than 40 members and
the right to make laws on 39 issues.

• The Sixth Schedule applies to the Northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram
(three Councils each), and Tripura (one Council).

Administration of Tribal Areas -

The Constitution, under Sixth Schedule, contains special provisions for the administration of
tribal areas in the four north-eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The
various features of administration contained in the Sixth Schedule are as follows:

• The tribal areas in the four states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram have been
constituted as autonomous districts. But, they do not fall outside the executive authority of
the state concerned.

• The Governor is empowered to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts. Thus,
he can increase or decrease their areas or change their names or de ne their boundaries and so
on.

• If there are di erent tribes in an autonomous district, the governor can divide the district into
several autonomous regions.

• Each autonomous district has a district council consisting of 30 members, of whom four
are nominated by the governor and the remaining 26 are elected on the basis of adult
franchise. The elected members hold o ce for a term of ve years (unless the council is
dissolved earlier) and nominated members hold o ce during the pleasure of the governor. Each
autonomous region also has a separate regional council.

• The district and regional councils administer the areas under their jurisdiction. They can make
laws on certain speci ed matters like land, forests, canal water, shifting cultivation, village
administration, inheritance of property, marriage and divorce, social customs and so on.
But all such laws require the assent of the Governor.

• The district and regional councils within their territorial jurisdictions can constitute village
councils or courts for trial of suits and cases between the tribes. They hear appeals from them.
The jurisdiction of high court over these suits and cases is speci ed by the Governor.

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 RAJ IAS ACADEMY 11th July, 2022 Page 7
• The district council can establish, construct or manage primary schools, dispensaries, markets,
ferries, sheries, roads and so on in the district. It can also make regulations for the control of
money lending and trading by non-tribals. But, such regulations require the assent of the
governor.

• The district and regional councils are empowered to assess and collect land revenue and to
impose certain speci ed taxes.

• The acts of Parliament or the state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts and
autonomous regions or apply with speci ed modi cations and exceptions.
• The Governor can appoint a commission to examine and report on any matter relating to the
administration of the autonomous districts or regions. He may dissolve a district or regional
council on the recommendation of the commission.

Monuments of National Importance

National Monuments Authority has recommended two sites associated with architect of the Indian
Constitution Babasaheb Ambedkar to be declared as Monuments of National importance.

Details -

• Culture Ministry said, Sankalp Bhumi Banyan tree campus in Vadodara, where Dr. Ambedkar
had taken a resolve to eradicate untouchability on 23th September, 1917 be declared as
Monument of National Importance.

• This place is more than hundred years old and a witness to the beginning of social respect
revolution heralded by Dr. Ambedkar.

• The National Monuments Authority has also recommended a place in Satara in Maharashtra
where Dr Ambedkar received his primary education in Pratap Rao Bhosle High School to be
declared as monument of National importance. 

Polavaram Project
The Polavaram irrigation project across the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh has been receiving huge
in ows of ood waters owing to heavy rain in Maharashtra in the past few days.

About the ‘Polavaram Project’ -

• The Polavaram Project is an under construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the

Godavari River in the Eluru District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh.

• The project has been accorded National project status by the Union Government of India.

• Its reservoir back water spreads up to the Dummugudem Anicut (i.e. approx 150 km back from
Polavaram dam on main river side) and approx 115 km on Sabari River side.

• Thus back water spreads into parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha States.

• It gives major boost to tourism sector in Godavari Districts as the reservoir covers the famous
Papikonda National Park. 

MCQs
1. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about Zonal Councils?
1. Prime Minister of India is the Chairman of these Councils.

2. Home Minister of India serves as the Vice-Chairman of these councils with the Chief Ministers
of the states included in each zone acting as the members of the council.

Select the correct codes from below -

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer - D
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Explanation - These are the statutory bodies  established under the States Reorganisation Act
1956 and not constitutional bodies. They are only deliberative and advisory bodies. Chairman –
The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils. Vice Chairman – The Chief
Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of the Zonal Council for that
zone by rotation, each holding o ce for a period of one year at a time. Members – Chief Minister
and two other Ministers as nominated by the Governor from each of the States and two members
from Union Territories included in the zone.

2. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about the ‘red panda’?
1. It is categorised as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN red list of threatened species.

2. It is found in the forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan and the northern mountains of Myanmar and
southern China.

3. India has the second-largest population of red-panda after China.

Select the correct codes from below -

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. All of the above

Answer - B

Explanation - The red panda is a small reddish-brown arboreal mammal. It is listed as

Endangered in the IUCN red list of Threatened Species and under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972. It is found in the forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan and the northern
mountains of Myanmar and southern China. It thrives best at 2,200-4,800m, in mixed deciduous
and conifer forests with dense under stories of bamboo.

3. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about the ‘National Internet Exchange
of India’ (NIXI)?
1. It is a not for pro t organisation working under the overall aegis of Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology.

2. It is responsible for the peering of ISPs among themselves for the purpose of routing the
domestic tra c within the country.

3. All the domains registered by any individual/group in India are delegated to the NIXI.

Select the correct codes from below -

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. All of the above

Answer - A

Explanation - NIXI is a not for pro t Organisation under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013,
and was registered on 19th June, 2003. It works under the overall aegis of Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology. NIXI was set up for peering of ISPs among themselves for the
purpose of routing the domestic tra c within the country, instead of taking it all the way to US/
Abroad, thereby resulting in better quality of service (reduced latency) and reduced bandwidth
charges for ISPs by saving on International Bandwidth. NIXI is managed and operated on a
Neutral basis, in line with the best practices for such initiatives globally. .IN is India’s Country
Code Top Level domain (ccTLD). The Government of India delegated the operations of
INRegistry to NIXI in 2004. The INRegistry operates and manages India’s .IN ccTLD. Indian
Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN) in India provides allocation and registration
services of IP addresses and AS numbers, and contributes to the society by providing Internet-
related information as a non-pro t, a liation-based organisation, and performing research,
education and enlightenment activities.

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 RAJ IAS ACADEMY 11th July, 2022 Page 9
4. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about the ‘Sixth Schedule of the
Constitution’?
1. It contains special provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the four north-eastern
states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

2. The tribal areas in these states are constituted as autonomous districts which fall outside the
jurisdiction of the state executive.

3. The Union Home Ministry is empowered to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts
with/without the consent of the state legislature.

Select the correct codes from below -

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 1 only

Answer - D

Explanation - The Constitution, under Sixth Schedule, contains special provisions for the
administration of tribal areas in the four north-eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura
and Mizoram. The tribal areas in the four states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram
have been constituted as autonomous districts. But, they do not fall outside the executive
authority of the state concerned. The Governor is empowered to organise and re-organise
the autonomous districts. Thus, he can increase or decrease their areas or change their names
or de ne their boundaries and so on.

5. Which of the following statement(s) is/are not correct about the ‘Sixth Schedule of the
Constitution’?
1. The sixth schedule mentioned under Article 244 of the Constitution provides for the formation
of autonomous district councils.

2. These autonomous district councils are completely independent except in case of foreign
a airs, defence and communication.

3. These councils can have up to 30 members with a term of ve years.

Select the correct codes from below -

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 3 only

D. None of the above

Answer - B

Explanation - The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 provides for the formation of autonomous
administrative divisions — Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) — that have some legislative,
judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state. ADCs have up to 30 members with a
term of ve years, and can make laws, rules and regulations with regard to land, forest,
water, agriculture, village councils, health, sanitation, village- and town-level policing,
inheritance, marriage and divorce, social customs and mining, etc. The Bodoland Territorial
Council in Assam is an exception with more than 40 members and the right to make laws on 39
issues. The Sixth Schedule applies to the Northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram
(three Councils each), and Tripura (one Council).

EDITORIAL SIMPLIFIED
Norms for vehicular safety
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 RAJ IAS ACADEMY 11th July, 2022 Page 10
Recently, , Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari approved a Draft GSR
(general statutory rules) Noti cation seeking comments on a proposal to introduce the Bharat
New Car Assessment Program (Bharat-NCAP).

It would accord vehicles a star rating based on their performance in crash tests. They are
intended to increase the export-worthiness of vehicles and competition on safety parameters
among manufacturers, as well as instil consumer con dence in their safety.

What is the purpose of an NCAP?

• New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) provide globally reliable information about the
crash safety of a vehicle based on certain common criteria and procedures. This then helps
vehicles acquire a foothold in international markets.

• They are separate from country-speci c motor standards in the sense that the latter
restricts itself to assessing the vehicle’s roadworthiness and not necessarily how it would
ensure safety in a collision. However, a zero rating in an NCAP cannot prevent a car from being
sold in any geography.

• Global NCAP is a standardised platform establishing cooperation and coordination among

NCAPs internationally whereas regional NCAPs take into account speci c local conditions. A
car may have attained a good rating elsewhere but it might not be the case in another geography
because of potentially separate manufacturing origins and quality.

• The nature of the domestic markets also matter — consumers may prefer a car with reduced
safety speci cations for there is greater insistence on a ordability.

How would the vehicles be evaluated?

• The voluntary Bharat NCAP would assign vehicles between one and ve stars on parameters
such as Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), Child Occupant Protection (COP) and Safety
Assist Technologies (SAT).

• It would study frontal impact, side impact and the possibility of a door opening after a
crash. The potential impact is studied with the help of dummies, of pre-speci ed measurements,
placed inside the vehicle. The car is crashed into an aluminium deformable barrier
impersonating an opposing force of the same magnitude — a crash-like situation, with a 40%
overlap.

• Bharat NCAP would conduct its frontal o set crash testing at 64 kmph instead of the
prevailing 56 kmph norm. Even though the existing regulations adhere to United Nations
Regulation 94 for collision testing, its absence in domestic testing norms, and inadequate
side protection in vehicles (such as airbags), has been often cited as reasons for the poor
performance of Indian vehicles at NCAPs.

• For assessing child protection, the NCAP would evaluate the impact to a child restraint
system (CRS) and airbag safety. CRS are portable seats designed to protect children during
vehicle collisions.

• Higher ratings would be accorded to vehicles with a permanent warning label on frontal
airbags.

What does it hold for the domestic automobile industry?

• The proposed move follows Mr. Gadkari’s focus on “zero tolerance for road accidents.” In
February this year, he had said e orts must be made to reduce road accidents by 50% by the
year 2025.

• With respect to Bharat NCAP, Hemal Thakkar, Director for Transport, Logistics and Mobility at
analytics rm CRISIL, said that consumers will have to prepare for an increase in vehicle
prices, but will also get safer vehicles.

• Having the Bharat NCAP rating criteria would emerge as a turning point in the domestic
automotive sector in terms of product, technology and safety, since it would provide a platform
that would test vehicular safety as per Indian conditions.

• If the Bharat NCAP is implemented, domestic testing agencies would conduct tests for M1
category of vehicles, that is, passenger vehicles having not more than eight seats in addition to
the driver’s seat, and weighing less than 3.50 tonnes — imported or domestically manufactured.
If cleared, it would be applicable from April 1, 2023.

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Source - The Hindu

QUESTION - Examine the potential impact of the proposed Bharat NCAP rating system on
India’s automobile industry. Does it augur well for both passenger safety and industry
growth? Comment.

Proposed amendments to the green laws

Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has proposed amendments in
the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

The EPA establishes the “framework for studying, planning, and implementing long-term
requirements of environmental safety and laying down a system of speedy and adequate response
to situations threatening the environment.”

In its note, the Environment Ministry has proposed legislation which scales down punishment
for some environmental violations.

What are the Environment Ministry’s proposed amendments?

• The Environment Ministry has proposed amendments in four key legislations —

• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,

• the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974,

• the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and

• the Public Liability Insurance (PLI) Act, 1991.

• These are the cornerstone environmental laws that led to the setting up of the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB), empowering it to take action against individuals and
corporate bodies who pollute air, water and land. The clutch of laws currently empowers the
CPCB to either shut down a polluting industrial body or imprison executives of an organisation
found to be environmental violators.

• The Environment Ministry said it had received “suggestions” to decriminalise existing

provisions of the EPA to weed out “fear of imprisonment for simple violations.”

• With a set of amendments, the Environment Ministry proposes to modify provisions of the
Environment Protection Act (EPA), by replacing clauses that provides for imprisonment with
ones that only requires violators to pay a ne. These, however, don’t apply to violations that
cause grave injury or loss of life.

How will violators be punished?

• The EPA currently says that violators face imprisonment up to ve years or a ne up to ₹1
lakh or both. If the violations continue, an additional ne of up to ₹5,000 for every day during
which such failure or contravention continues after the conviction may be be levied. There’s also
a provision for the jail term to extend to seven years.

• The changes proposed include the appointment of an ‘adjudication o cer’ who will decide
on the penalty in cases of environmental violations such as reports not being submitted or
information not provided when demanded.

• Funds collected as penalties would be accrued in an “Environmental Protection Fund.” In case

of contraventions of the Act, the penalties could extend to anywhere from ve lakh to ve crore,
the proposal notes, but the clause on provision of a jail term for the rst default has been sought
to be removed.

Do these amendments defang environment laws?

• The Environment Ministry hasn’t laid out a clear rationale on why these amendments were
necessary. However, the history of environmental action and its success in India shows that the
current laws have had limited e ectiveness. An analysis by the Centre for Science and
Environment found that Indian courts took between 9-33 years to clear a backlog of cases
for environmental violations.

• Beginning 2018, close to 45,000 cases were pending for trial and another 35,000 cases were
added in that year. More than 90% of the cases were pending for trial in ve of the seven
environment laws.

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• The myriad challenges dogged the process of bringing violators to book. For instance, to ag
pollution from an industrial unit would mean ling a complaint with the court of the concerned
district magistrate, or furnishing evidence to the CPCB which would again have to approach the
same institution. This would then box the crime in the category of ‘criminal complaints’ that
would have to follow a set procedure and was extremely time-consuming.

• In most cases, it was practically impossible to hold a speci c individual in an organisation

responsible for a speci c crime given the burden of proof required. No top executive in India
had gone to jail for an environmental crime. This was di erent from cases of crimes such as
poaching, or stealing forest produce, where there was always a de nite o ender who
could be apprehended and dealt with by the police. The new amendments, thus, potentially
made a certain category of crimes ‘civil crimes’ making it easier to hold organisations
accountable.

Conclusion -

Environmentalists say that the existing clause of imprisonment was to deter violators and not
to imprison them. The proposed penalties were too meagre and the amendments opened up
avenues for “large scale corruption” as the ‘Adjudication O cers’ could be “arbitrary” in their
decision-making.

Source - The Hindu

QUESTION - Analyse the proposed amendments to the several environmental legislations

by the Environment Ministry. Will it be enough to deter the violations and speed up
resolutions?
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