Relevance for UPSC: GS III (Environment, Climate Change, Economy); GS II (Governance, Executive Accountability)
Source: The Hindu (opinion); Supreme Court judgments; Ministry of Environment notifications

Context

Recent debates around projects in the Aravalli Range highlight a growing policy trend—granting “strategic” or “national interest” exemptions from environmental regulations. While intended to speed up infrastructure and mineral extraction, such exemptions raise concerns about environmental rule of law, transparency, and long-term sustainability.

Why the Aravallis Matter

The Aravallis are among the oldest mountain systems and perform vital ecological functions:

• Act as a barrier against desertification from the Thar
• Enable groundwater recharge for Delhi–NCR
• Serve as a biodiversity corridor and carbon sink

Their degradation directly increases urban heat, water stress, and climate vulnerability in north-west India.

What Are “Strategic Exemptions”?

These are executive relaxations from procedures like Environmental Impact Assessment and public consultation, justified on grounds such as:

• National security and strategic minerals
• Linear infrastructure and economic urgency
• Ease of doing business

In the Aravallis, such exemptions have facilitated mining and infrastructure projects with limited scrutiny.

Key Governance Concerns

• Dilution of Environmental Impact Assessment undermines scientific appraisal and community participation.
• Executive discretion through notifications bypasses parliamentary debate.
• Judicial inconsistency—earlier strong protections weakened by reclassification of land and forests.
• Short-term economic gains override ecological security, which is integral to national security.
• Centre–State tensions erode cooperative federalism in environmental governance.

Way Forward

• Clearly define “strategic projects” in law, not executive orders.
• Make independent environmental audits mandatory, even for exempted projects.
• Retain public consultation as the default.
• Integrate climate-risk assessment into approvals.
• Ensure parliamentary oversight over major exemptions.

Key Takeaways

• Strategic exemptions may accelerate growth but risk irreversible ecological loss.
• Aravallis are critical for climate adaptation in north-west India.
• Environmental governance requires transparency, science, and accountability.

One-line wrap:
Strategic exemptions must remain the exception, not the norm, if sustainable development is to be meaningful.

Q. “Examine the implications of ‘strategic exemptions’ from environmental regulations, using the Aravalli hills as a case study.”