Now Reading: Centre broadens eligibility for environmental appraisal committees
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Centre broadens eligibility for environmental appraisal committees
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.…
The Story in Brief
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.
The Indian Opinion
The claim that the new rules let literally anyone into environmental bodies is overstated, since the notification still sets education and experience conditions. But treating a general postgraduate degree as a substitute for environmental training could weaken scrutiny of projects affecting air, water and livelihoods. The fair test is simple: publish appointees’ qualifications and track whether clearance decisions withstand scientific and legal review.
Source: deccanherald.com
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