Top 50 Interview Questions On The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

INTRODUCTION

Environment Protection Act which is also known as EPA was enacted in 1983, in the wake of the Bhopal gas tragedy. Although there are various Act that covers Environment Protection but in order to make general legislation with respect to the environment’s protection and improvement, as well as matters related to it, this Act was taken into consideration. Provisions related to carrying hazardous substances, powers of authority, penalties, prevention are all discussed in this Act. It consists of 26 sections and 4 chapters. The Act applies to all types of pollution, including air, water, soil, and noise. It establishes safe environmental criteria for the presence of certain pollutants. It also states that” there is an urgent need for the enactment of general environmental legislation that, among other things, should enable co-ordination of activities of various regulatory agencies, creation of an authority or authorities with adequate powers for environmental protection, regulation of discharge of environmental pollutants and handling of hazardous substances, rapid response in the event of accidents endangering the environment, and deterrence,”[1]

1. When was the Environment Protection Act enacted?
2. What are the salient features of the Environment Protection Act?
3. In wake of which event was this came made?
4. What does cognizance of offences under this Act mean?
5. How many sections and chapters are there in this Act?
6. What does environment audit mean?
7. What is the ECO labelling scheme under this Act?
8. Why is Environmental Impact Assessment important?
9. What is the role of National Appellant authority under this Act?
10. Why is the case of M.C. Mehta v. Union of India an important precedent under this Act?
11. What is the criteria described for an ECO Mark?
12. What do you understand by coastal zone management plan?
13. On what basis the classification of coastal zone management plan is done?
14. What does the term “umbrella”  means under this Act?
15. What is the main purpose of this Act?
16. Do we have a right to a healthy environment?
17. What are the various acts related to environmental protection?
18. Who has the authority to appoint a government analyst as per this Act?
19. Which act allows the use of groundwater as a right under the umbrella of this Act?
20. What do you understand about sustainable development?
21. Under which provision this Act allows you to file a case in court?
22. What kind of pollution is covered under this Act?
23. What do you understand by hazardous substances?
24. What are regulatory standards as per this Act?
25. When did United Nations Conference on Human Environment took place?
26. When did Bhopal Gas Tragedy occurred?
27. What are the penalties for non compliance with this Act?
28. What do you understand by the term “government analyst” as per this Act?
29. Is the government entitled to establish “Environmental Laboratories”?
30. What are the prescribed standards for emitting excess pollutants?
31. Can the whole staff be held liable in case an offence under this Act is committed by a company?
32. When is the World Environment Day celebrated?
33. What do you understand by welfare legislation as per this Act?
34. When were the constitution’s environmental protection clauses enacted?
35. Which Act was the first major environmental protection act to be promulgated?
36. The constitution’s environmental protection measures were drafted under which Article?
37. What are the three major environment laws?
38. What does environment protection mean?
39. What are the harnessing market forces for environment protection?
40. Under which category of legislation does Environment Protection Act comes?
41. Who have the authority to determine excess standard of pollutants as per this Act?
42. In which circumstances the head of government department shall be deemed guilty?
43. What does the term “Environment” as per this Act mean?
44. Which areas are termed as “restricted areas” as per this Act?
45. What do you understand by the term “occupier”?
46. What does procedural safeguard in hazardous substance as per this Act mean?
47. What does this Act say on assisting central government when carrying hazardous substance work?
48. What do you understand by the terms the fact of occurrence and apprehension of occurrence?
49. How many amendments so far has been made under this Act?
50. What does this Act say on bio medical waste?

YLCC would like to thank Anam Khan for her valuable insights in this article.

[1] Dr. SUKANTA K. NANDA, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND THE LAW 202, (2d ed. 2009).