Sam 
India is blessed with a coastline stretching over 7,500 kilometers, housing diverse ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, lagoons, estuaries, and seagrass beds. These habitats support countless marine species and sustain the livelihoods of millions of coastal communities. However, rapid urbanization, industrialization, overfishing, and climate change have placed immense stress on marine and coastal biodiversity. … Read more
Water is one of India’s most precious natural resources, essential for agriculture, energy, drinking purposes, and industry. However, its uneven distribution across states has led to recurring disputes. With over 90% of India’s river basins shared between two or more states, interstate river disputes have become a defining feature of Indian federalism. The resolution of … Read more
Mining has been a cornerstone of India’s industrial development, providing vital raw materials such as coal, iron ore, bauxite, and precious minerals. However, it also raises complex legal, environmental, and social challenges. The pursuit of natural resources often collides with the principles of sustainable resource management, making effective legal frameworks essential to ensure both economic … Read more
India is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, home to nearly 7–8% of all recorded species. Recognizing the urgent need to safeguard its natural wealth, India enacted the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, aligning with its international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992. The Act sought to conserve biological resources, ensure sustainable … Read more
India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of biodiversity, hosting forests that cover about 21% of its area and wildlife species that are globally significant. However, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and deforestation have posed serious threats to this natural wealth. To counter these challenges, India has developed a robust legal framework for the … Read more
Environmental governance in India operates within a federal structure, where both the Centre and the States share responsibilities. The Constitution of India places environment-related subjects across the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List, creating an overlapping jurisdiction. While this distribution allows for cooperative governance, it often leads to tensions between the Centre and the … Read more
Environmental governance in India has undergone a remarkable transformation over the decades, and civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been at the forefront of this change. While governments formulate laws and institutions enforce them, civil society plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between policies and ground realities. NGOs bring technical … Read more
Environmental protection in India is not just a constitutional mandate but also an administrative necessity. As environmental issues became more complex with industrial growth, urbanization, and resource exploitation, the interplay between environmental law and administrative law emerged as a critical dimension of governance. While environmental law provides the substantive framework for protecting natural resources, administrative … Read more
Corporate activities play a crucial role in shaping the environmental future of a nation. While industries drive economic growth, they also contribute significantly to pollution, resource depletion, and ecological degradation. In India, the push for corporate accountability in environmental governance has intensified over the years, supported by legislative measures, judicial interventions, and increasing public awareness. … Read more
Environmental governance in India has historically been top-down, with state and central governments playing a dominant role in designing policies and regulations. However, with increasing recognition of the importance of community participation and grassroots involvement, decentralised environmental governance has emerged as a crucial approach. Panchayats and urban local bodies (ULBs) are now entrusted with responsibilities … Read more