ABSTRACT
The analysis presented in the 13 chapters of the present volume clearly indicates that economic growth does not necessarily translate into sustainable development, and India is no exception to this trend. It would be interesting to evaluate the evolving nature of Indian environmental governance framework in this light. 1 As discussed in the introduction of the volume, the approach followed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in India during the 1980s and the 1990s for ensuring environmental sustainability relied heavily on the involvement of the government agencies (e.g. firm level inspection) for pollution abatement in various spheres; namely, air pollution, water pollution, land degradation, etc. as well as protection of forest and wildlife. Though the framework laid due emphasis on enhancing public awareness through regular arrangement of training programmes, private participation in this sphere however was not encouraging. For instance, the National Environmental Awareness Campaign (NEAC) was launched in July 1986, but the problem of deforestation or air and water pollution remained a major concern area during the same period.
