{"id":4151,"date":"2026-09-27T04:43:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T04:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/?p=4151"},"modified":"2026-09-28T04:48:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T04:48:58","slug":"gadgil-and-kasturirangan-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/gadgil-and-kasturirangan-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"Gadgil and Kasturirangan Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SYLLABUS: Environment<\/b><\/p>\n

General Studies \u2013 : III <\/b>Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/blockquote>\n

IN NEWS:<\/b> What is Karnataka\u2019s objection to the ESA?<\/span><\/p>\n

QUESTION: <\/b>Compare the approaches of the Gadgil Committee and Kasturirangan Committee towards conservation of the Western Ghats.<\/span><\/p>\n

ANSWER: <\/b>The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site and global biodiversity hotspot, represent the ecological backbone of peninsular India. To conserve this fragile landscape, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) constituted two prominent panels: the <\/span>Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP)<\/b> headed by <\/span>Madhav Gadgil<\/b> (2011) and the <\/span>High-Level Working Group (HLWG)<\/b> chaired by <\/span>K. Kasturirangan<\/b> (2013).<\/span><\/p>\n

Comparative Analysis: Gadgil Committee vs. Kasturirangan Committee<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Parameter<\/b><\/td>\nGadgil Committee (WGEEP, 2011)<\/b><\/td>\nKasturirangan Committee (HLWG, 2013)<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Philosophical Approach<\/b><\/td>\nEcentric \/ Ecocentric:<\/b> Prioritizes ecological integrity over economic expansion; views conservation as an overarching imperative.<\/span><\/td>\nAnthropocentric \/ Development-Oriented:<\/b> Aims for a “sustainable development” balance between ecology and economic growth.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coverage & ESA Demarcation<\/b><\/td>\nDeclared the <\/span>entire Western Ghats range<\/b> (~1,29,037 sq km or ~64% of the region) as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).<\/span><\/td>\nReduced the ESA footprint significantly, designating only <\/span>~37%<\/b> (56,825 sq km) as ecologically sensitive.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zonation & Landscape Classification<\/b><\/td>\nClassified the region into <\/span>three Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ 1, 2, and 3)<\/b> based on ecological fragility, enforcing graded regulations.<\/span><\/td>\nClassified the Western Ghats into <\/span>Cultural Landscapes<\/b> (human settlements, agriculture, plantations\u201458%) and <\/span>Natural Landscapes<\/b> (forested\u201442%).<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Governance Architecture<\/b><\/td>\nBottom-Up & Decentralized:<\/b> Advocated strong local governance by empowering <\/span>Gram Sabhas<\/b> and local bodies under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.<\/span><\/td>\nTop-Down & Bureaucratic:<\/b> Relied on state administration, regulatory bodies, and expert-driven machinery rather than local Gram Sabhas.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Methodology for Assessment<\/b><\/td>\nCombined field-level ecological inputs, historical data, and extensive consultations with local communities.<\/span><\/td>\nUsed high-resolution <\/span>remote sensing, satellite imagery, and spatial technologies<\/b> to map natural vegetation continuous bands.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stance on Specific Sectors<\/b><\/td>\nMining & Power:<\/b> Total ban on mining and large hydro projects in ESZ-1; phased exit of existing mining leases.<\/span><\/p>\n

Agriculture:<\/b> Mandatory shift away from chemical pesticides and GM crops.<\/span><\/td>\n

Mining & Power:<\/b> Complete ban on mining, quarrying, and red-category industries in ESA; allowed hydro projects after strict EIA.<\/span><\/p>\n

Agriculture:<\/b> Excluded agriculture and plantations from ESA restrictions.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Institutional Mechanism<\/b><\/td>\nRecommended establishing a statutory <\/span>Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA)<\/b> under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.<\/span><\/td>\nOpposed creating new statutory authorities; advocated strengthening existing state-level environmental monitoring bodies.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Core Reasons for the Divergence in Approaches<\/b><\/h3>\n
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  1. Environmental Idealism vs. Pragmatic Governance:<\/b>\n