Why it is in the news
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified on 21 September 2026 an amendment to the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 that doubles the validity of environmental clearance (EC) for ports, harbours, breakwaters and dredging projects from 10 years to a minimum of 20 years, with room for two further five-year extensions. The change follows a request from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, which cited the long gestation and phased development of port projects.
The exam angle
Issue: How should India balance speed and certainty for infrastructure with the precautionary and participatory purpose of environmental clearance?