On 23rd of March, the ‘Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change of India’ (MoEFCC) released the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2020 as a replacement to the EIA Notification 2006. 

This proposal aims to bring in, continue, and strengthen controversial amendments such as a post-facto grant of approval for the EIA for proposed projects, exemption of several large industries from public hearings, permission for businesses to submit just one environment compliance report a year rather than two, and increased validity of the environment clearances for mining and river valley projects.

As young citizens and stakeholders of this nation, who will be living on this soil for years to come, this draft alarms them. The importance of raising their voices, as the youth of this developing country, against such outrageous decisions cannot be understated.

A campaign was initiated on 16th June 2020 to rally support from various, university student associations, college environment clubs, and other youth groups across India. 

On the 25th of June, a comprehensive letter was sent to the MoEFCC with signatures of over 70 unions from around India (Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, Goa, Pondicherry, MP, UP, Haryana, Odisha, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and more) who stood in solidarity to condemn the passing of the EIA Notification 2020.

The red flags that united student activists across India under the same cause are also the right steps in raising awareness about the notification released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.