# Centre broadens eligibility for environmental appraisal committees 2026-08-07T18:50:33+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Union government has revised eligibility rules for expert appraisal committees at the Centre and in states, allowing postgraduate degree holders, including those with MA, MSc, MBA and LLM degrees, to qualify. Engineers, architects and civil service officers with two years of experience can also become members or chairpersons, according to Deccan Herald. The committees assess environmental impacts of projects. Central EACs review Category A projects, while state authorities and committees handle Category B projects, including mining leases covering 250 hectares and construction with 20,000 square metres of built-up area. Earlier rules required five years of formal training in relevant environmental disciplines. A retired Environment Department official told Deccan Herald that the change could admit people without adequate environmental knowledge. ## Coverage - deccanherald.com Tags: EIA, environment, expert committees, project clearances Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/centre-broadens-eligibility-for-environmental-appraisal-committees/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/centre-broadens-eligibility-for-environmental-appraisal-committees/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.