Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

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Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Ministry-of-Environment-Forest-and-Climate-Change.jpg
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) logo.webp
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Agency overview
Formed1985;40 years ago (1985)
Jurisdiction Government of India
Headquarters Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jorbagh Road, New Delhi [1]
Annual budget2,870 crore (US$340 million) (2021–22 est.) [2]
Ministers responsible
Agency executives
  • Tanmay Kumar, IAS, Secretary (EF&CC)
  • Jitender Kumar, IFS, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary
Website https://moef.gov.in/

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is an Indian government ministry. The ministry portfolio is currently held by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. [3]

Contents

The ministry is responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating, and overseeing the implementation of environmental and forestry programmes in the country. The main activities undertaken by the ministry include conservation and survey of the flora of India and fauna of India, forests and other wilderness areas; prevention and control of pollution; Indian Himalayan Environment and its sustainable development; afforestation, and land degradation mitigation. It is responsible for the administration of the national parks of India.

Prakash Javadekar meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry at COP21 in Paris. Secretary Kerry Meets With India's Environment Minister Javadekar at COP21 in Paris (23651621445).jpg
Prakash Javadekar meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry at COP21 in Paris.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the cadre controlling authority of the Indian Forest Service (IFS), one of the three All India Services.

History

Environmental debates were first introduced into the national political agenda during Indira Gandhi's first term as Prime Minister of India. The 4th Five-Year Plan (1969–74), for example, proclaimed "harmonious development [...] on the basis of a comprehensive appraisal of environmental issues." In 1977 (during the Emergency) Gandhi added Article 48A to the constitution stating that: "The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country." The same decree transferred wildlife and forests from state list to concurrent list of the constitution, thus giving the central government the power to overrule state decisions on that matter. Such political and constitutional changes prepared the groundwork for the creation of a federal Department of Environment in 1980, turned into the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1985. [4] Although tackling climate change was already a responsibility of the ministry, its priority was raised when in May 2014 the ministry was renamed to the current title of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. [5]

Administration

The forest administration is based on demarcation of states into Forest Divisions which consists of Forest Ranges. Forest Beats under Ranges are the smallest unit of administration hierarchy. Natural features on the field form the boundaries of each beat which has an average area of around 16 km square. [6]

Organisation

Cabinet Ministers

PortraitMinister
(Birth-Death)
Constituency
Term of officePolitical partyMinistryPrime Minister
FromToPeriod
Minister of Environment and Forests
RajivGandhi.jpg Rajiv Gandhi
(1944–1991)
MP for Amethi

(Prime Minister)
31 December 198422 October 19861 year, 295 days Indian National Congress Rajiv II Rajiv Gandhi
Bhajan Lal Bishnoi.jpg Bhajan Lal
(1930–2011)
Rajya Sabha MP for Haryana
22 October 198614 February 19881 year, 115 days
Ziaur Rahman Ansari Lok Sabha photo.jpg Ziaur Rahman Ansari
(1925–1992)
MP for Unnao

(Minister of State, I/C until 25 Jun 1988)
14 February 19882 December 19891 year, 291 days
V. P. Singh (cropped).jpg Vishwanath Pratap Singh
(1931–2008)
MP for Fatehpur

(Prime Minister)
2 December 198923 April 1990142 days Janata Dal Vishwanath Vishwanath Pratap Singh
NilamaniRautray.jpg Nilamani Routray
(1920–2004)
MP for Puri
23 April
1990
10 November
1990
201 days
ManekaGandhi2.jpg Maneka Gandhi
(born 1956)
MP for Pilibhit

(Minister of State, I/C)
10 November 199021 June 1991223 days Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) Chandra Shekhar Chandra Shekhar
KamalNath.jpg Kamal Nath
(born 1946)
MP for Chhindwara

(Minister of State, I/C)
21 June 199115 September 19954 years, 86 days Indian National Congress Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao
Rajesh Pilot 2008 stamp of India.jpg Rajesh Pilot
(1945–2000)
MP for Dausa

(Minister of State, I/C)
15 September 199516 May 1996244 days
Atal Bihari Vajpayee tribute image (cropped).jpg Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(1924–2018)
MP for Lucknow

(Prime Minister)
16 May 19961 June 199616 days Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee I Atal Bihari Vajpayee
H. D. Deve Gowda BNC.jpg H. D. Deve Gowda
(born 1933)
Unelected

(Prime Minister)
1 June 199629 June 199628 days Janata Dal Deve Gowda H. D. Deve Gowda
Cap (Retd.) Jai Narain Nishad with Dr Harikumar Pallathadka (cropped).JPG Jai Narain Prasad Nishad
(1930–2018)
MP for Muzaffarpur

(Minister of State, I/C)
29 June 199621 February 1997237 days
Saifuddin Soz in September 2007 (cropped).jpg Saifuddin Soz
(born 1937)
Rajya Sabha MP for Jammu and Kashmir
21 February 199721 April 19971 year, 26 days Jammu and Kashmir National Conference
21 April 199719 March 1998 Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral
Suresh Prabhu (cropped).jpg Suresh Prabhu
(born 1953)
MP for Rajapur
19 March 199813 October 19991 year, 208 days Shiv Sena Vajpayee II Atal Bihari Vajpayee
T R Baalu in a Party Meeting Dias.jpg T. R. Baalu
(born 1941)
MP for Chennai South
13 October 199921 December 20034 years, 69 days Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Vajpayee III
Atal Bihari Vajpayee tribute image (cropped).jpg Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(1924–2018)
MP for Lucknow

(Prime Minister)
21 December 20039 January 200419 days Bharatiya Janata Party
Ramesh Bais in 2023 (cropped).jpg Ramesh Bais
(born 1947)
MP for Raipur

(Minister of State, I/C)
9 January 200422 May 2004134 days
A still of the Union Minister for Environment & Forests, Shri A. Raja during a meeting of Chief Wildlife Wardens and Field Directors of Project Tiger Reserves, in New Delhi on May 26, 2005.jpg A. Raja
(born 1963)
MP for Perambalur
23 May 200415 May 20072 years, 357 days Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Manmohan I Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh in 2009.jpg Manmohan Singh
(1932–2024)
Rajya Sabha MP for Assam

(Prime Minister)
15 May 200722 May 20092 years, 7 days Indian National Congress
Jairam ramesh.jpg Jairam Ramesh
(born 1954)
Rajya Sabha MP for Andhra Pradesh

(Minister of State, I/C)
22 May 200912 July 20112 years, 51 days Manmohan II
Jayanthi Natarajan in 2012 (cropped).png Jayanthi Natarajan
(born 1954)
Rajya Sabha MP for Tamil Nadu

(Minister of State, I/C)
12 July 201121 December 20132 years, 162 days
M. Veerappa Moily addressing a Press Conference on Electoral Reforms (cropped).jpg Veerappa Moily
(born 1940)
MP for Chikballapur
21 December 201326 May 2014156 days
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Prakash Javadekar.jpg Prakash Javadekar
(born 1951)
Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh

(Minister of State, I/C)
27 May 20145 July 20162 years, 39 days Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi
Anil Dave.jpg Anil Madhav Dave
(1956–2017)
Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh

(Minister of State, I/C)
5 July 201618 May 2017
(died in office)
317 days
Harsh Vardhan in 2017.jpg Harsh Vardhan
(born 1954)
MP for Chandni Chowk
18 May 201730 May 20192 years, 12 days
Prakash Javadekar.jpg Prakash Javadekar
(born 1951)
Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra
31 May 20197 July 20212 years, 37 days Modi II
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav.jpg Bhupender Yadav
(born 1969)
Rajya Sabha MP for Rajasthan, till 2024
MP for Alwar, from 2024
7 July 20219 June 20244 years, 72 days
10 June 2024Incumbent Modi III

Ministers of State

PortraitMinister
(Birth-Death)
Constituency
Term of officePolitical partyMinistryPrime Minister
FromToPeriod
Minister of State for Environment and Forests
Vir Sen
MP for Khurja
31 December 198425 September 1985268 days Indian National Congress Rajiv II Rajiv Gandhi
Ziaur Rahman Ansari Lok Sabha photo.jpg Ziaur Rahman Ansari
(1925–1992)
MP for Unnao
25 September 198514 February 19882 years, 142 days
Sumati Oraon Lok Sabha photo.jpg Sumati Oraon
(born 1935)
MP for Lohardaga
4 July 19892 December 1989151 days
ManekaGandhi2.jpg Maneka Gandhi
(born 1956)
MP for Pilibhit
6 December 19896 November 1990335 days Janata Dal Vishwanath Vishwanath Pratap Singh
Cap (Retd.) Jai Narain Nishad with Dr Harikumar Pallathadka (cropped).JPG Jai Narain Prasad Nishad
(1930–2018)
MP for Muzaffarpur
1 June 199629 June 199628 days Janata Dal Deve Gowda H. D. Deve Gowda
Babulal Marandi
(born 1958)
MP for Dumka
19 March 199813 October 19992 years, 233 days Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee II Atal Bihari Vajpayee
13 October 19997 November 2000 Vajpayee III
Dilip Singh Judeo.jpg Dilip Singh Judeo
(1949–2013)
MP for Chhattisgarh (Rajya Sabha)
29 January 200317 November 2003292 days
Namo Narain Meena (cropped).jpg Namo Narain Meena
(born 1943)
MP for Sawai Madhopur
23 May 200422 May 20094 years, 364 days Indian National Congress Manmohan I Manmohan Singh
S. Regupathy in 2004 (cropped).jpg S. Regupathy
(born 1950)
MP for Pudukkottai
15 May 200722 May 20092 years, 7 days Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Mahesh Sharma January 2015.jpg Mahesh Sharma
(born 1959)
MP for Gautam Buddh Nagar
3 September 201730 May 20191 year, 269 days Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi
Babul Supriyo 2018.jpg Babul Supriyo
(born 1970)
MP for Asansol
31 May 20197 July 20212 years, 37 days Modi II
The Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey on July 25, 2018.jpg Ashwini Kumar Choubey
(born 1953)
MP for Buxar
7 July 202110 June 20242 years, 339 days
Kirtivardhan Singh assuming charge as the Minister of State of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.jpg Kirti Vardhan Singh
(born 1966)
MP for Gonda
10 June 2024Incumbent1 year, 99 days Modi III

Initiatives

In August 2019 Ministry of Environment released the Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy. It is a set of guidelines which envisions a future with environmentally sustainable and equitable economic growth. The policy is guided by principle of reduction in primary resource consumption; creation of higher value with less material through resource efficient circular approach; waste minimization; material security and creation of employment opportunities and business model beneficial to cause of environment protection and restoration. It was based on the report of NITI Aayog and European Union titled, The strategy on resource efficiency. The policy seeks to set up a National Resource Efficiency Authority with core working group housed in the Ministry. It also plans to offer tax benefits on recycled materials and soft loans to set up waste disposal and material recovery facilities. [9] [10]

As of 8 December 2021, some states have received more than Rupees 47,000 crore for afforestation. The states are directed to channel this amount as compensatory afforestation which shall be used for plantations, assisted natural forest regeneration, forest fire-prevention, pest and disease control in forest, and expedite soil and moisture conservation works.[ citation needed ]

See also

References

  1. "Contact Us | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Government of India". Moef.gov.in. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  2. "MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE DEMAND NO. 27 : Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change" (web). Indiabudget.gov.in. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  3. "Following Anil Daves death, Dr Harsh Vardhan gets additional charge of environment". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  4. Sanjeev Khagram (2004) "Dams and Development", New York, Cornell University Press, ISBN   978-0-8014-8907-5
  5. "Ministry of environment and forests undergoes a nomenclature change". The Economic Times. 28 May 2014. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  6. Jhala, Yadvendradev Vikramsinh; Qureshi, Qamar; Nayak, Anup Kumar, eds. (July 2020). Status of tigers, copredators and prey in India, 2018 (First ed.). National Tiger Conservation Authority, Government of India, New Delhi, and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. ISBN   978-8185496504.
  7. "About ENVIS".
  8. "Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Government of India". Envfor.nic.in. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  9. "Comments called for on the Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy Released". Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  10. "EU-India joint declaration on resource efficiency and circular economy(PDF)". Consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 10 September 2020.