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Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Government ministry of India


Government ministry of India

FieldValue
nameMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
sealMinistry-of-Environment-Forest-and-Climate-Change.jpg
logoMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) logo.webp
logo_captionMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
formed
jurisdictionGovernment of India
headquartersIndira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jorbagh Road, New Delhi
budget(2025–26 est.)
minister1_nameBhupender Yadav
minister1_pfoCabinet Minister
minister2_nameKirti Vardhan Singh
minister2_pfoMinister of State
chief1_nameTanmay Kumar, IAS
chief1_positionSecretary (EF&CC)
chief2_nameJitender Kumar, IFS
chief2_positionDirector General of Forests and Special Secretary
websitehttps://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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

Organisation

  • Indian Forest Service (IFS)
  • Authorities
    • Central Zoo Authority of India, New Delhi
    • National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai
    • National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi
    • Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
  • Subordinate offices
    • Andaman & Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation (Public Sector Undertaking)
    • Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Kolkata
    • Central Pollution Control BoardENVIS
    • Environmental Information System (ENVIS)
    • Odisha State Pollution Control Board
    • Delhi Pollution Control Committee
    • Directorate of Forest Education
    • Forest Survey of India
    • Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy
    • National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board
    • National Board of Wildlife
    • National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), New Delhi
    • National Zoological Park (NZP), New Delhi
    • Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata
  • Centres of excellence
    • Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad
    • C. P. R. Environmental Education Centre, Chennai
    • Centre for Animals and Environment, Bangalore
    • Centre of Excellence in Environmental Economics, Chennai
    • Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions, Bangalore
    • Centre for Ecological Sciences, Bangalore
    • Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystem, New Delhi
    • Centre for Mining Environment, Dhanbad
    • Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore
    • Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram
  • Autonomous institutions
    • G. B.Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Almora
    • Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
    • Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute, Bengaluru
    • Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun
    • Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun

Cabinet Ministers

  • Note: I/C Independent Charge
PortraitMinister
(Birth-Death)
ConstituencyTerm of officePolitical partyMinistryPrime MinisterFromToPeriodMinister of Environment and ForestsMinister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:RajivGandhi.jpg70px]]Rajiv Gandhi
(19441991)
MP for Amethi
(Prime Minister)31 December 198422 October 1986Indian National CongressRajiv IIIndian National Congress}}"Rajiv Gandhi
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:Bhajan Lal Bishnoi.jpg70px]]Bhajan Lal
(19302011)
Rajya Sabha MP for Haryana22 October 198614 February 1988
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:Ziaur Rahman Ansari Lok Sabha photo.jpg70px]]Ziaur Rahman Ansari
(19251992)
MP for Unnao
(Minister of State, I/C until 25 Jun 1988)14 February 19882 December 1989
Janata Dal}}"[[File:V. P. Singh (cropped).jpg70px]]Vishwanath Pratap Singh
(19312008)
MP for Fatehpur
(Prime Minister)2 December 198923 April 1990Janata DalVishwanathJanata Dal}}"Vishwanath Pratap Singh
Janata Dal}}"[[File:NilamaniRautray.jpg70px]]Nilamani Routray
(19202004)
MP for Puri23 April
199010 November
1990
Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)}}"[[File:ManekaGandhi2.jpg70px]]Maneka Gandhi
(born 1956)
MP for Pilibhit
(Minister of State, I/C)10 November 199021 June 1991Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)Chandra ShekharSamajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)}}"Chandra Shekhar
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:KamalNath.jpg70px]]Kamal Nath
(born 1946)
MP for Chhindwara
(Minister of State, I/C)21 June 199115 September 1995Indian National CongressRaoIndian National Congress}}"P. V. Narasimha Rao
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:Rajesh Pilot 2008 stamp of India.jpg70px]]Rajesh Pilot
(19452000)
MP for Dausa
(Minister of State, I/C)15 September 199516 May 1996
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Atal Bihari Vajpayee tribute image (cropped).jpg70px]]Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(19242018)
MP for Lucknow
(Prime Minister)16 May 19961 June 1996Bharatiya Janata PartyVajpayee IBharatiya Janata Party}}"Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Janata Dal}}"[[File:H. D. Deve Gowda.jpg70px]]H. D. Deve Gowda
(born 1933)
Unelected
(Prime Minister)1 June 199629 June 1996Janata DalDeve GowdaJanata Dal}}"H. D. Deve Gowda
Janata Dal}}"[[File:Cap (Retd.) Jai Narain Nishad with Dr Harikumar Pallathadka (cropped).JPG70px]]Jai Narain Prasad Nishad
(19302018)
MP for Muzaffarpur
(Minister of State, I/C)29 June 199621 February 1997
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference}}"[[File:Saifuddin Soz in September 2007 (cropped).jpg70px]]Saifuddin Soz
(born 1937)
Rajya Sabha MP for Jammu and Kashmir21 February 199721 April 1997Jammu and Kashmir National Conference
21 April 199719 March 1998GujralJanata Dal}}"Inder Kumar Gujral
Shiv Sena}}"[[File:Suresh Prabhu (cropped).jpg70px]]Suresh Prabhu
(born 1953)
MP for Rajapur19 March 199813 October 1999Shiv SenaVajpayee IIBharatiya Janata Party}}"Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}"[[File:T R Baalu in a Party Meeting Dias.jpg70px]]T. R. Baalu
(born 1941)
MP for Chennai South13 October 199921 December 2003Dravida Munnetra KazhagamVajpayee III
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Atal Bihari Vajpayee tribute image (cropped).jpg70px]]Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(19242018)
MP for Lucknow
(Prime Minister)21 December 20039 January 2004Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Ramesh Bais in 2023 (cropped).jpg70px]]Ramesh Bais
(born 1947)
MP for Raipur
(Minister of State, I/C)9 January 200422 May 2004
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}"[[File: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.jpg70px]]A. Raja
(born 1963)
MP for Perambalur23 May 200415 May 2007Dravida Munnetra KazhagamManmohan IIndian National Congress}}"Manmohan Singh
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:Manmohan Singh in 2009.jpg70px]]Manmohan Singh
(19322024)
Rajya Sabha MP for Assam
(Prime Minister)15 May 200722 May 2009Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:Jairam ramesh.jpg70px]]Jairam Ramesh
(born 1954)
Rajya Sabha MP for Andhra Pradesh
(Minister of State, I/C)22 May 200912 July 2011Manmohan II
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:Jayanthi Natarajan in 2012 (cropped).png70px]]Jayanthi Natarajan
(born 1954)
Rajya Sabha MP for Tamil Nadu
(Minister of State, I/C)12 July 201121 December 2013
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:M. Veerappa Moily addressing a Press Conference on Electoral Reforms (cropped).jpg70px]]Veerappa Moily
(born 1940)
MP for Chikballapur21 December 201326 May 2014
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Prakash Javadekar.jpg70px]]Prakash Javadekar
(born 1951)
Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh
(Minister of State, I/C)27 May 20145 July 2016Bharatiya Janata PartyModi IBharatiya Janata Party}}"Narendra Modi
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Anil Dave.jpg70px]]Anil Madhav Dave
(19562017)
Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh
(Minister of State, I/C)5 July 201618 May 2017
(died in office)
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Harsh Vardhan in 2017.jpg70px]]Harsh Vardhan
(born 1954)
MP for Chandni Chowk18 May 201730 May 2019
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Prakash Javadekar.jpg70px]]Prakash Javadekar
(born 1951)
Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra31 May 20197 July 2021Modi II
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Union Minister Bhupender Yadav.jpg70px]]Bhupender Yadav
(born 1969)
Rajya Sabha MP for Rajasthan, till 2024
MP for Alwar, from 20247 July 20219 June 2024
10 June 2024IncumbentModi III

Ministers of State

PortraitMinister
(Birth-Death)
ConstituencyTerm of officePolitical partyMinistryPrime MinisterFromToPeriodMinister of State for Environment and ForestsMinister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Indian National Congress}}"Vir Sen
MP for Khurja31 December 198425 September 1985Indian National CongressRajiv IIIndian National Congress}}"Rajiv Gandhi
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:Ziaur Rahman Ansari Lok Sabha photo.jpg70px]]Ziaur Rahman Ansari
(19251992)
MP for Unnao25 September 198514 February 1988
Indian National Congress (R)}}"[[File:Sumati Oraon Lok Sabha photo.jpg70px]]Sumati Oraon
(born 1935)
MP for Lohardaga4 July 19892 December 1989
Janata Dal}}"[[File:ManekaGandhi2.jpg70px]]Maneka Gandhi
(born 1956)
MP for Pilibhit6 December 19896 November 1990Janata DalVishwanathJanata Dal}}"Vishwanath Pratap Singh
Janata Dal}}"[[File:Cap (Retd.) Jai Narain Nishad with Dr Harikumar Pallathadka (cropped).JPG70px]]Jai Narain Prasad Nishad
(19302018)
MP for Muzaffarpur1 June 199629 June 1996Janata DalDeve GowdaJanata Dal}}"H. D. Deve Gowda
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"Babulal Marandi
(born 1958)
MP for Dumka19 March 199813 October 1999Bharatiya Janata PartyVajpayee IIBharatiya Janata Party}}"Atal Bihari Vajpayee
13 October 19997 November 2000Vajpayee III
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Dilip Singh Judeo.jpg70px]]Dilip Singh Judeo
(19492013)
MP for Chhattisgarh (Rajya Sabha)29 January 200317 November 2003
Indian National Congress}}"[[File:Namo Narain Meena (cropped).jpg70px]]Namo Narain Meena
(born 1943)
MP for Sawai Madhopur23 May 200422 May 2009Indian National CongressManmohan IIndian National Congress}}"Manmohan Singh
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}"[[File:S. Regupathy in 2004 (cropped).jpg70px]]S. Regupathy
(born 1950)
MP for Pudukkottai15 May 200722 May 2009Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Mahesh Sharma January 2015.jpg70px]]Mahesh Sharma
(born 1959)
MP for Gautam Buddh Nagar3 September 201730 May 2019Bharatiya Janata PartyModi IBharatiya Janata Party}}"Narendra Modi
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Babul Supriyo 2018.jpg70px]]Babul Supriyo
(born 1970)
MP for Asansol31 May 20197 July 2021Modi II
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:The Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey on July 25, 2018.jpg70px]]Ashwini Kumar Choubey
(born 1953)
MP for Buxar7 July 20219 June 2024
Bharatiya Janata Party}}"[[File:Kirtivardhan Singh assuming charge as the Minister of State of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.jpg70px]]Kirti Vardhan Singh
(born 1966)
MP for Gonda10 June 2024IncumbentModi 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.

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.

References

References

  1. (2015-07-31). "Contact Us | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Government of India".
  2. "MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE DEMAND NO. 27 : Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change".
  3. (18 May 2017). "Following Anil Daves death, Dr Harsh Vardhan gets additional charge of environment".
  4. Sanjeev Khagram (2004) "Dams and Development", New York, Cornell University Press, {{ISBN. 978-0-8014-8907-5
  5. (28 May 2014). "Ministry of environment and forests undergoes a nomenclature change". [[The Economic Times]].
  6. (July 2020). "Status of tigers, copredators and prey in India, 2018.". [[National Tiger Conservation Authority]], [[Government of India]], New Delhi, and [[Wildlife Institute of India]], Dehradun..
  7. "About ENVIS".
  8. "Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Government of India".
  9. "Comments called for on the Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy Released".
  10. "EU-India joint declaration on resource efficiency and circular economy(PDF)".
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