MoEFCC "violates" Supreme Court order on online complaint monitor, sets up industry-facilitating portal instead

By Rohit Prajapati*
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has "proudly" announced it's new endeavour with yet another acronym PARIVESH. It is a web-based, role-based workflow application developed for submission and monitoring of the proposals submitted by the proponents for seeking environment, forest, wildlife and coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) clearances from Central, state and district-level authorities.
It claims to automate the entire tracking of proposals, which includes online submission of a new proposal, editing/updating the details of proposals and displays status of the proposals at each stage of the workflow. The process reveals the worst kept secret of the MoEFCC. To quote minister of environment Dr Harsh Vardhan, with PARIVESH, MoEFCC has "become more of a facilitator, than a regulator."
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched PARIVRSH launched as single-window integrated system... for complete online, expeditious and transparent system for environment, forest, wildlife and CRZ clearances at Central and state level", Dr Vardhan said in a communique, adding, "It will lead to better compliance and sustainable development", asking those concerned to visit it's site https://parivesh.nic.in.
MoEFCC's mandated concern should be for environment, forests, and climate, as mentioned in the name of the ministry, but the recent announcement makes it clear that the ministry is working for ease of business for industries, instead of protecting environment.
Quite on the lines of PARIVESH, MoEFCC could instead have an online tracking and status of complaints for the violation of terms and conditions of environment clearances, environment laws, about air, water, and soil pollution.
Generally, when people affected by pollution file complains, they get poor or no reply from the MoEFCC and State Pollution Control Boards, and they are not in position to locate status of their complaints.
Even in our Public Interest litigation (PIL) Writ Petition No. 375 of 2012, Supreme court Order dated February 22, 2016 clearly states:

"It would be in the interest of implementation of the objective sought to be achieved, to also require each concerned state (and each concerned Union territory) to make provision for 'online, real time, continuous monitoring system' to display emission levels, in the public domain, on the portal of the concerned State Pollution Control Board... Such measures shall be put in place by all the concerned state governments (including, concerned Union territories), within six months from today."

This deadline was over on August 22, 2017, but no action has been taken by MoEFCC.
This has once again exposed the misplaced concerns and intentions of MoEFCC that favours industries over nature.
---
Environment activist, Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, Vadodara

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Development vs community: New coal politics and old conflicts in Madhya Pradesh

By Deepmala Patel* The Singrauli region of Madhya Pradesh, often described as “India’s energy capital,” has for decades been a hub of coal mining and thermal power generation. Today, the Dhirouli coal mine project in this district has triggered widespread protests among local communities. In recent years, the project has generated intense controversy, public opposition, and significant legal and social questions. This is not merely a dispute over one mine; it raises a larger question—who pays the price for energy development? Large corporate beneficiaries or the survival of local communities?

Search This Blog