The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a mandatory legal concept in India that systematically evaluates the potential environmental, social, and health impacts of a proposed development project before its implementation. Its purpose is to predict adverse effects, find ways to reduce them, and ensure that development aligns with sustainable practices.
The Indian experience with EIA began in 1976-77 when the Planning Commission first asked for an environmental review of river-valley projects. However, a formal, legally-backed mechanism was absent until the first EIA Notification was promulgated on January 27, 1994, by the then Ministry of Environment and Forests under the umbrella Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. This notification solved the problem of environmental clearance being a mere administrative decision by making it a statutory requirement for certain projects.
The current mechanism is governed by the EIA Notification, 2006, which categorizes projects into two types for appraisal: Category A and Category B. Category A projects, which are large-scale or high-impact, are appraised at the central level by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC). Category B projects are appraised at the state level by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). The process involves four stages: Screening, Scoping, Public Consultation, and Appraisal.
EIA connects directly to the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which provides its legal foundation, and to the constitutional mandate for environmental protection under Article 48A and Article 51A(g). Related institutions include the SEIAA and the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC).
The framework has seen recent changes, such as the EIA Amendment Rules 2024, which mandated digital submission via the PARIVESH 2.0 portal and strengthened post-clearance monitoring. Furthermore, a March 2025 amendment to the EIA Notification, 2006, reversed a 2020 exemption, reintroducing environmental oversight for excavation activities in linear projects. The controversial Draft EIA Notification 2020 proposed reducing the public hearing notice period from 30 to 20 days and introducing 'post-facto clearance,' a provision the judiciary has opposed, stating in Alembic Pharmaceutical vs. Rohit Prajapati (April 2020) that "environment law cannot countenance the notion of an ex post facto clearance."