Question

Which of the following is included in the Central Government's power under Section 3(2)(ii) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986?

• A. Carrying out and sponsoring investigations and research relating to problems of environmental pollution
• B. Laying down standards for the quality of the environment in its various aspects
• C. Collection and dissemination of information in respect of matters relating to environmental pollution
• D. Planning and execution of a nation-wide programme for the prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution

Hint:

For Environment Protection Act questions, remember that Section 3 is the most important section because it grants wide powers to the Central Government for environmental protection. Questions are often asked by mentioning a specific subsection.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Recall that Section 3(2) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does not state one broad power, it lists a numbered sequence of specific powers, each under its own sub-clause.

Step 2: Place the four options in the order they typically appear in that sequence: coordinating State actions, planning and executing nationwide pollution-control programmes, laying down environmental quality standards, restricting industrial siting, collecting and circulating pollution information, and carrying out research.

Step 3: Locate clause (ii) specifically in that sequence. It corresponds to the function of collecting and disseminating information relating to environmental pollution, distinct from the research clause and the standard-setting clause that come elsewhere in the list.

Step 4: Match this against the four options given. Only the option describing collection and dissemination of information lines up with clause (ii); the others describe real but differently numbered clauses. The correct option is collection and dissemination of information in respect of matters relating to environmental pollution.

Answer 2

Another way to approach this is to group the four options by what kind of activity they describe, then see which group clause (ii) belongs to.

1. Carrying out and sponsoring investigations and research relating to problems of environmental pollution: this is a knowledge-generating activity, producing new research findings rather than collecting and sharing existing information, and belongs to a different sub-clause.
2. Laying down standards for the quality of the environment in its various aspects: this is a rule-making activity, fixing benchmarks and limits, which again is a distinct function from collecting and circulating information.
3. Collection and dissemination of information in respect of matters relating to environmental pollution: this is an information-management activity, gathering data on pollution and making it available, which is precisely what clause (ii) of Section 3(2) covers.
4. Planning and execution of a nation-wide programme for the prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution: this is a large-scale implementation activity, running a programme across the country, distinct from the narrower task of handling information.

Since research, standard-setting and nationwide programme execution each describe a different kind of governmental function from information handling, and clause (ii) is specifically about information handling, only one option matches.

Hence, the correct answer is Collection and dissemination of information in respect of matters relating to environmental pollution.