Reimagining environmental governance would require a greater political will

The NDA proposed key changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment notification in the last month of its term

At the beginning of its first term, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government introduced a slew of measures to simplify the process by which environmental clearances are granted under the Environment Protection Act (1986). At a larger level, it tried to provide a time-bound delivery of such clearances to applicants through standardised processes. At a more micro-level, it responded to requirements of specific industrial sectors to tweak particular provisions and standards. 

In its last month of this tenure the NDA government has proposed a more substantial rewriting of the key enabling notification called the  Environment Impact Assessment of 2006. The proposal