IAS 2016 — Environment & Ecology Environment & Ecology

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'Gadgil Committee Report' and 'Kasturirangan Committee Report', sometimes seen in the news, are related to

Official previous-year question

Verified 2 Aug 2026.

Options

Aconstitutional reforms
BGanga Action Plan
Clinking of rivers
Dprotection of Western Ghats

Did you get this right?

Solution

The correct option is (d).

Explanation

The Gadgil Committee and the Kasturirangan Committee were constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to assess the ecological status of the Western Ghats and suggest measures for their conservation.

Gadgil Committee (2011): Officially known as the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), it was headed by Madhav Gadgil. The report recommended designating the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). It proposed classifying the area into three zones (ESZ-1, ESZ-2, and ESZ-3) with varying degrees of protection and restrictions on developmental activities.
Kasturirangan Committee (2013): Officially known as the High Level Working Group (HLWG), it was headed by K. Kasturirangan. This committee was formed to examine the WGEEP report. It recommended that approximately 37% of the Western Ghats (about 60,000 sq. km) be declared as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), distinguishing between "cultural landscapes" (human settlements) and "natural landscapes."

Key Takeaway: Both committees are associated with the demarcation of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) to balance development and environmental conservation in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.

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