Environmental Law

Unit 1 — Introduction:

1. Historical origin of Environment Law, International and Indian Jurisprudence · 2. Components of Environment, Ecology, Ecosphere and Biosphere · 3. Concept of Climate Change – Causes and Impact, Global Vulnerability Assessments to Climate Change · 4. Meaning and definition of Environment, Environmental Pollution, its kinds (Natural and artificial – Air, Water, Noise, Soil, Nuclear, marine) causes and effects. · 5. Nature of Environmental Law - Public law or private law · 6. Common law aspects of environmental law - Nuisance, Trespass, Negligence, Absolute and Strict liability. · 7. Criminal Liability and Environment Protection - Offences affecting public health and safety under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 152 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita

• Environment, its components, and factors affecting the quality of environment
• Environmental Law — meaning and purpose
• General Laws and Environment Protection — application of Tort law, Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code

Unit 2 — Environment Protection under the Constitution of India:

1. Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policies, Fundamental Duties, Implementation of International obligations · 2. Distribution of Legislative Powers · 3. Remedies - Writ Jurisdiction of High Court and Supreme Court · 4. Judicial Activism and Public Interest Litigation for Environment Protection - Role of Indian Judiciary and environmentalist

• Constitutional Provisions relating to rights and duties of people and government

Unit 3 — Principles of International Environmental Law - Relevance in India:

1. Responsibility of States in Protection of Environment - Transboundary pollution and state’s responsibility - Trail Smelter Arbitration, UN Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution · 2. Stockholm Conference, 1972, UNEP, Brundtland Commission Report, Rio Summit or Earth Summit-I, 1992 - Impact on India · 3. Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol for the Protection of Ozone Layer · 4. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Combating Desertification, Earth Summit - II, 1997, Kyoto Protocol - Impact on India · 5. World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002, Bali Action Okan and the Copenhagen Accords, Paris Agreement on Climate Change 2015 - Position in India · 6. Millenium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals – Impact on Environmental Law · 7. Principles of Sustainable Development, Inter-generational Equity, Precautionary Principle, Polluter Pays Principle, and the Public Trust Doctrine - Position in India

• Environment Protection from International Perspectives — Stockholm Conference, Rio Declaration and Johannesburg Declaration
• Environment Protection-Significant Concepts and Principles — Sustainable development Polluter Pays Principle Precautionary Principle

Unit 4 — Pollution Control Laws & Resource Conservation and Animal Welfare Laws (These statutes to be studies to understand authorities established, their power and functions, established procedures, penalties for contravention of the provisions and judicial pronouncement under statutes) Part 1

1. The Water Act, 1974, · 2. Air Act, 1981, · 3. Environment (Protection) Act 1986 Part 2 · 1. The National Forest Policies of 1952 and 1988 · 2. The Forest Act,1927 · 3. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 · 4. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 · 5. Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 · 6. National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

• The Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1974- Definitions, Establishments of — Central Pollution Control Board (S. 3)
• The Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1981- Definitions, Establishments of — Central Pollution Control Board (S. 3)
• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986- Definitions
• Indian Forest Act 1927 and Forest Conservation Act, 1980
• The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972- Definitions, Hunting of Wild Animals (sec- 9,11 &12)
• The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010- Scope (sec 3-13), Jurisdiction, Powers and Proceedings of the Tribunal (sec 14-25), Penal Provisions (26-28)

Unit 5 — Biodiversity, Climate Change and Laws

1. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 - Important Definitions, Regulation of access to biological diversity, national biodiversity authority, state biodiversity board, biodiversity management committees, equitable benefit sharing, judicial decisions · 2. National Action Plan on Climate Change Maharashtra · 3. State Action Plan on Climate Change

Unit 6 — Technology, Environment and Law

1. Genetically Modified Crops, Farmers and breeders’ rights · 2. Role of technology in Sustainable Development: Issues, Challenges, and Policy initiatives

Unit 7 — Waste Management and Law

1. Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules · 2. Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules · 3. Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules · 4. E-waste Management Rules

• Rules addressing some environmental problems — Bio-Medical Waste Rules 2016 Hazardous wastes Rules 1989 Noise Pollution Rules 2000

Unit 8 — Environment and Development

1. Environmental issues involved in the development projects like Silent Valley Project, Narmada Valley Project and Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant · 2. Emerging Legal Control like Environmental Audit, Eco Mark Scheme, Environmental Impact Assessment, Eco-tourism · 3. Development induced Displacement and Rehabilitation- Human Rights Perspective