Question

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), Govt. of India has published the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) draft Notification 2020, intended to replace the existing EIA Notification 2006 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Which of the following is/are the key change(s) from existing regulation?

• A. Removal of several project/activities from the purview of public consultation.
• B. A list of projects has been included under Category B2, expressly exempted from the requirement of an EIA.
• C. All the project related activities are brought under the purview of necessary public consultation.
• D. A list of projects has been included under Category B2, bringing them under the requirement of detailed EIA.

Hint:

EIA 2020 draft emphasizes reducing public consultation and expanding B2 exemptions, making environmental clearance faster but reducing environmental safeguards compared to EIA 2006.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The EIA Notification 2020 draft sought to significantly revise the 2006 EIA framework, changing how environmental clearances are granted in India.
One of the major criticisms of the 2020 draft was that it weakened public participation and reduced regulatory oversight for many categories of projects.
Regarding Option (A):
The draft EIA 2020 removed several projects from the mandatory public consultation requirement.
These include modernization of irrigation projects, offshore/onshore exploration up to a certain depth, and several B2-category projects.
This represents a major shift from EIA 2006, where public consultation was a core requirement for most project categories.
Thus, option (A) is correct.
Regarding Option (B):
The draft introduced an expanded list of Category B2 projects, which are explicitly exempt from:
• detailed EIA study,
• public hearing, and
• comprehensive environmental appraisal.
Examples: small mineral mining leases, inland waterway projects, certain building/construction activities, etc.
Therefore, this exemption represents a major regulatory relaxation, making option (B) correct.
Regarding Option (C):
This is incorrect because the draft notification does the opposite — it reduces the scope of public consultation rather than expanding it.
Regarding Option (D):
This is incorrect because Category B2 projects are specifically exempted from detailed EIA, not brought under it.
Therefore, the correct statements reflecting key changes in the EIA 2020 draft notification are (A) and (B).
Final Answer: (A), (B)