Seventh draft notification for Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Zones issued by Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on July 27, 2026
GK and monthly revision
Fear revisits residents of Western Ghats
The Union government issued the seventh draft notification on July 27, 2026, declaring large parts of the Western Ghats as eco-sensitive zones based on the Kasturirangan Committee report, providing a 60-day window for public objections. This revives long-standing tensions between environmental conservation and local livelihood concerns across six states. The move is significant for exams as it tests knowledge of environmental governance, the Gadgil vs Kasturirangan reports, Centre-state dynamics, and the legal framework under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Source: The Hindu. This summary and analysis are AI-written from that report and are not individually fact-checked — confirm names, dates and figures with the source before you rely on them.
Revision structure
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Key points
Exam-ready takeaways
Based on recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee (2013), which proposed 37% of Western Ghats as ESZ, unlike Gadgil Panel's 64%
Covers six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu; 60-day period provided for filing objections
Previous drafts issued in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022 — all lapsed due to state-level resistance and lack of consensus
Legal basis: Section 3 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; ESZs restrict mining, quarrying, thermal plants, and large infrastructure
How to study
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Revise monthly events by exam family instead of reading random updates.
Pair one-liners with mock tests so mistakes become the next revision list.
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