Act And Policies - UPSC MCQ

Explanation:
Environment Protection Act 1986

• In the wake of the Bhopal tragedy, the government of India enacted the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986.
• To protect and improve environmental qualities.
• To establish an authority to study, plan and implement long term requirements of environmental safety.

Section 3: Central Government shall have the power to take all such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and abating environmental pollution.

The act does not mention about requirement of public participation. Hence option 1 is wrong. (however, sec 3 can be close to option 1 as it empowers central government to do so. Hence need to wait for the official key) Section 3-2 (iv) Central Government may lay down standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources whatsoever. Hence option 2 is correct
Educational Objective: Indian constitution have very few provisions relating to the environment. Hence, all the Environmental legislations of Indian parliament becomes important. One such act is Environmental Protection Act of 1986.

Explanation:

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) was constituted under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) as the apex body under the ‘Rules for Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells 1989’ in accordance with the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Hence answer is option C
About GEAC

• The ministry’s Special Secretary/Additional Secretary is the Chairman of the GEAC.
• Currently, the GEAC has twenty-four members and meets once every month to carry out its prescribed activities.

Functions
To appraise activities involving the large-scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle. To appraise proposals relating to release of genetically engineered organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials. The committee or any persons authorized by it has powers to take punitive action under the Environment Protection Act.
Educational Objective: to have knowledge regarding organisations that deal with Environmental laws. And also to know from where the organisation derive powers from. Whether statutory or executive.

1. The Rules provide for exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of sites for landfills and waste processing facilities.
2.  It is mandatory on the part of waste generator that thewaste generated in one district cannot be moved to another district.

Explanation:
Solid Waste Management Rules 2016
These rules replace the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, are now applicable beyond municipal areas and have included urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships etc.
Hence option b is wrong The new rules have mandated the source segregation of waste in order to channelize the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycle. Waste generators would now have to now segregate waste into three streams (hence option a is wrong)- Biodegradables, Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, Wood, etc.) and Domestic Hazardous waste (diapers, napkins, mosquito repellants, cleaning agents etc.) before handing it over to the collector.
Rules specifies criteria for site selection, development of facilities at the sanitary landfills, specifications for land filling operations and closure on completion of land filling, pollution prevention, Closure and Rehabilitation of Old Dumps, specifies Criteria for special provisions for hilly areas. So, C is correct.
There is no mention of district waste management requirement, so D is wrong.
Educational Objective: To know the provisions of various pollution related rules and laws like plastic waste management rules, construction and demolition waste management rules, e waste management rules etc.

Explanation:
E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 in supersession of the e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011.
Making the norms stringent, the new E-waste rules included Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and other mercury containing lamps, as well as other such equipments.
For the first time, the rules brought the producers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), along with targets. Hence option C is correct.
Producers have been made responsible for collection of E-waste and for its exchange.
Various producers can have a separate Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) and ensure collection of E-waste, as well as its disposal in an environmentally sound manner.
Educational Objective: to have knowledge about the highlights of all the waste management Rules like plastic waste, e waste, solid waste, construction and demolition waste  etc.

Explanation:
Article 21 is the most widely interpreted Article in the Indian Constitution.
Supreme Court in number of cases including Menaka Gandhi Case have widened the scope of the article to include many natural rights in it. One such right is Right to healthy Environment. Parliament of India have enacted NGT Act 2010, in order to implement the provisions of this 
article.
Hence option 1 is correct.
Article 275(1) deals with the grants to the states. The funds are released to the State Governments against specific projects for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes and   strengthening of administration of tribal areas.
Here Option 2 is correct but NGT ACT IS NOT enacted in consonance with Article 275(1). Hence option 2 in this question is wrong.
Educational Objective: To know about the important legislations relating to the Environment and their relation provisions in the constitution of India.

Explanation:
All the three animals come under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Hence, these are given absolute protection from hunting, except under some provisions provided by law.
Educational Objective: to have knowledge abot the conservation status of various animals thatare often seen in news.

Explanation:
Wild Life Protection Act (Wpa) – Schedules
Tiger in India is placed under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
The act provides for six schedules to regulate the trade on animals.

Educational Objective: To have idea about the degree of protection that various animals enjoy under Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

Explanation:
Forest Rights Act, 2006
The act recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation in Forest land in forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD)who have been residing in such forests for generations
It identifies 4 rights

1. Title rights
2. Use rights
3. Relief and development rights
4. Forest management rights

​Allocation of these rights Gram sabha (full village assembly, NOT the gram panchayat) makes a recommendation – i.e., who has been cultivating land for how long, which minor forest produce is collected, etc. Hence, answer is option D
Educational Objective: Tribes and their rights is one of the hot topics for UPSC. In this regard everything about tribes becomes important fo the exam.

Explanation:
The Critical Wildlife Habitats have been envisaged in Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.Hence option 1 is right.
In a bid to undo historical injustice meted out to primitive tribal communities living in central India, the government of Madhya Pradesh has for the first time recognised the habitat rights of seven villages in Dindori district, mostly inhabited by the Baiga.
Baigatribals became India's first community to get habitat rights. ... The tribe numbers only 150,000 people spread over forested areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.  For several decades, the Baigas were discriminated against and often evicted from forest areas by government agencies. Option 2 is correct.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing the ―Scheme of Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). It aims at planning their socio-economic development in a comprehensive manner while retaining the culture and heritage of the community. Hence option 3 is wrong
Educational Objective: Forest Rights Act is one of the landmark legislations in India for granting rights to the tribes. Hence all the provisions of the act are important for the exam.

Explanation:
The Parliament brought an amendment to exclude bamboo from the definition of tree under the Indian Forest Act, claiming it would improve the earnings of tribals and dwellers living around forests.
The amendment permits felling and transit of bamboo grown in non-forest areas. However, bamboo grown on forest lands would continue to be classified as a tree and would be guided by the existing legal restrictions. Hence option 1 is wrong.
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2003 allows ownership of minor forest produce to forest dwellers and bamboo is a minor forest produce as per the act. Hence option 2 and 3 is correct.
Educational Objective: To have knowledge about the rights of tribes as per the forest dwellers rights Act and the recent amendment brought to it.

Explanation:
Ramsar Convention It is an international treaty for “the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands”. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands.
Ramsar philosophy is “wise use” of wetlands.
At the time of joining the Convention, each Contracting Party undertakes to designate at least one wetland site (not all the sites. Hence option 1 is wrong) for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance.
The inclusion of a “Ramsar Site” in the List embodies the government’s commitment to take the steps necessary to ensure that its ecological character is maintained.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests, recognising the importance of having a legal framework for the preservation and management of wetlands in India, drew up a draft Regulatory Framework drawing upon the recommendation of a wide spectrum of experts and stakeholders.
These rules were not based on Ramsar Convention. Hence option 2 is wrong Educational Objective: wetlands are the most important ecosystems that help in large Carbon Sink. Hence conservation efforts towards wetlands both national and international are important for the examination point of view.

Explanation:
National Water Mission: It is one of the eight missions launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) for combating the threats of global warming.
Objectives of the National Water Mission are, Increase water use efficiency by 20% through regulations, differential entitlements and pricing. A considerable share of water needs of urban areas is to be met through recycling of wastewater. Hence statement 1 is correct
Water requirements of coastal cities are to be met through the adoption of low-temperature desalination technologies. Hence, statement 2 is correct
Consult with states to ensure that basin-level management strategies are made to deal with variability in rainfall and river flows due to climate change.
Enhance storage above and below ground, implement rainwater harvesting.
Adopt large scale irrigation programmes which rely on sprinklers, drip irrigation and ridge and furrow irrigation.
Educational Objective: To know about impact of National Water Mission.

Explanation:
Totally there 35 Acts that are legislated by the Indian Parliament that deal with Biodiversity in one or the other way. All the above 4 Acts Deal with the conservation of Biodiversity.While Option 2 and 4 are very certain to deal with the biodiversity, the other two options also deal with Biodiversity indirectly. E.g both the acts deal with entering of Alien Species (Invasive Species) from other countries.
Educational Objective: To have knowledge about various Environmental Legislations of Indian Parliament that deals with conservation of Nature.