Consider the following statements:
The Environment Protection Act, 1986 empowers the Government of India to
- 1.state the requirement of public participation in the process of environmental protection, and the procedure and manner in which it is sought
- 2.lay down the standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
Only statement 2 is correct: section 3(2)(iv) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 lets the Central Government lay down standards for emission or discharge of pollutants from various sources. The list of measures in section 3(2) has no item that requires the Government to prescribe public participation.
- ✗ 1. Section 3(2) lists the measures the Centre may take (coordination, standards, restriction of areas, safeguards, research, laboratories, information and so on). Prescribing a requirement of public participation is not one of them; public hearings arise from separate subordinate notifications, not from this section.
- ✓ 2. Section 3(2)(iv) names 'laying down standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources whatsoever', and allows different standards for different sources.
Remember · Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 gives the Centre wide powers, including emission and discharge standards; it does not itself prescribe public participation.
Sources
- The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, section 3(2) (India Code) ↗ “laying down standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources whatsoever”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·