Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Natural Resources
| पर्यावरण, वन्यजीव एवं प्राकृतिक संसाधन मंत्रालय (Hindi) | |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of Vishwamitra |
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The Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Natural Resources (Hindi: पर्यावरण, वन्यजीव एवं प्राकृतिक संसाधन मंत्रालय) is a ministry in the government of Vishwamitra responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating, and overseeing the implementation of environmental and plantation programmes in the nation. The main activities undertaken by the ministry include conservation and survey of the flora and fauna in the nation, and other environmental areas. It also promotes afforestation and plantation drives among the citizens. The ministry was created on 7 September 2017 by prime minister Tanishkaa Patranabish as the Ministry of Environment, Nature, and Conservation.
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources is headed by a minister of the union cabinet who usually holds the rank of a cabinet minister or a minister of state (independent charge). The current minister is Tanvi Sridasa since 3 October 2024.
History
The ministry was created on 7 September 2017 by then prime minister Tanishkaa Patranabish separating the department of environment and nature from the Ministry of Culture and named it the Ministry of Environment, Nature, and Conservation. Saikat Seal was appointed as the first minister on 7 September 2017.
The ministry was briefly merged into the Ministry of Sanitation and Hygiene in March 2018 and was re-established in May 2018 as the Ministry of Environment and Nature. On 9 March 2019, the Ministry of Sanitation and Hygiene was merged into the Ministry of Environment and Nature and on 17 March 2019, after the formation of the Fifth Tanishkaa Patranabish ministry, the ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Nature and Environment Conservation. On 16 July 2019, the ministry was further renamed as the Ministry of Sanitation and Natural Resources and again on 2 September 2019 as the Ministry of Environmental Resources. In a cabinet decision on 20 September 2019, the Departments of Sanitation and Public Health were separated from the Ministry and merged to form an independent ministry named as the Ministry of Sanitation and Public Health.
The ministry was briefly abolished on 24 November 2019 and re-created on 3 March 2020, the Ministry of Environmental Resources was again renamed as the Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources. In March 2021, then newly-sworn in prime minister Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu decided that the ministry be renamed as the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. On 10 July 2021, the ministry was renamed to its current name of that of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
In August 2023, the ministry was merged with several other ministries to form the Ministry of National Development and became a department under the ministry.
Organization
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has three constituent departments:
- Department of Environment
- Department of Preservation of Natural Resources
- Department of Climate Change
Organization
The Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Natural Resources is headed by the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Natural Resources who is a member of the cabinet of Vishwamitra. The first minister in the ministry was Saikat Seal who served on various occasions, while the current minister is Senior Minister Tanvi Sridasa, who has been in office since 3 October 2024.
The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Natural Resources is also assisted by the Minister of State for Environment, Wildlife and Natural Resources. The current minister of state is Dinesh Rajagopalan who has been in office since 3 October 2024.
