Q68 · UPSC Prelims 2016 · Set A · Environment and Ecology

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'Gadgil Committee Report' and 'Kasturirangan Committee Report', sometimes seen in the news, are related to

A Constitutional reforms
B Ganga Action Plan
C Linking of rivers
D Protection of Western Ghats

Correct answer: (d) Protection of Western Ghats

Explanation

  1. A

    Constitutional reforms

    Constitutional reforms are the domain of bodies such as the Punchhi or Sarkaria Commissions, not Gadgil or Kasturirangan. This option is not the key.

  2. B

    Ganga Action Plan

    The Ganga Action Plan and later Namami Gange are river-cleaning programmes. Neither committee is a Ganga report. This option is wrong.

  3. C

    Linking of rivers

    Interlinking of rivers is associated with the National Water Development Agency and political debates on ILR, not with these two reports. This option is not the key.

  4. D

    Protection of Western Ghats

    The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (Madhav Gadgil, 2011) and the High-Level Working Group (K. Kasturirangan, 2013) both addressed protection of the Western Ghats as an ESA. That is why (d) is the official key.

Summary. Official key is (d) protection of Western Ghats. Gadgil recommended treating the entire Ghats as an ecologically sensitive zone with graded ESZ 1–3 and a statutory Western Ghats Ecology Authority. Kasturirangan narrowed the ESA to a smaller share of villages, which States found more acceptable. Both reports are about Ghats conservation, not the Constitution, Ganga or river linking. The tension between the two remains a standard environment question.