GS3 Environment & Climate: Nodal Index
📊 High-Yield Data & Statistical Fact Sheet
- Syllabus Focus: Conservation, environmental pollution, degradation, and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
- Core Statutory Anchor: Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (EPA) is the umbrella legislation directing national environment policies.
- Key Regulatory Agencies: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), National Green Tribunal (NGT), and Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
1. CORE ECOLOGICAL AND CONSERVATION MODULES
- Ecosystems & Biomes: Marine, wetland, and terrestrial ecosystems and restoration strategies.
- Biodiversity Conservation: In-situ vs. ex-situ models, Biological Diversity Act, and community-led conservation.
- Environmental Degradation: Desertification, soil erosion, land degradation neutrality, and forest fires.
- Water Scarcity: Aquifer depletion, water-stress index, groundwater regulation, and watershed management.
2. POLLUTION AND STRATEGIC MITIGATION
- Pollution Control: Air pollution (CAQM, GRAP, NCAP), river pollution, waste management rules, and decriminalization.
- Climate Change: Global warming, India's Panchamrit goals, carbon markets, and international climate diplomacy (COP summits).
- EIA Framework: Environmental Impact Assessment processes, historical developments, public participation, and comparison of EIA drafts.
- Sustainable Development: Circular economy, resource efficiency, green finance, and SDG index tracking.
QUICK REVISION BOX
- Ecosystems Link: ecosystems-mains.md.
- Biodiversity Link: biodiversity-mains.md.
- Degradation Link: degradation-mains.md.
- Water Scarcity Link: water-scarcity-mains.md.
- Pollution Control Link: pollution-mains.md.
- Climate Change Link: climate-change-mains.md.
- EIA Framework Link: eia-mains.md.
- Sustainable Development Link: sustainable-development-mains.md.
Notes updated up to March 2026. Sources: MoEFCC guidelines, CPCB bulletins.