Year-End Review 2025: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

• 05 Jan 2026

For Prelims: Aravalli, Madhav Tiger Reserve, All India Tiger Estimation, Elephant Reserves, Protected Areas, Project Cheetah, Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Project Dolphin, Sloth Bear, Gharial, Snow Leopard, Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Nagar Van Yojana, MISHTI Programme, Ramsar Sites, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), PARIVESH 2.0, PM Gatishakti NMP, Sovereign Green Bonds, Coral Reefs, Critical Mineral.     

For Mains: Key Achievements and reforms of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the year 2025. Further steps needed to strengthen environmental conservation.  

Source: PIB

Why in News? 

In its Year-End Review 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) detailed India’s key achievements in environmental conservation, climate resilience, and institutional reforms.  

• The document marks 2025 as a year of consolidating the nation’s transition toward sustainable and ecologically restorative growth. 

Summary 

• India enhanced forest cover, wildlife reserves, and urban greenery, achieving global recognition in forest gain. 
• Major reforms included Green Credit Programme, Van Amendment Rules, PARIVESH 2.0, and environmental clearance simplifications. 
• Future priorities focus on legal enforcement, circular economy, renewable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure, and community-led ecosystem restoration.

What are the Key Achievements of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the year 2025? 

• Forest Conservation & Green Cover: India improved to 9th globally in forest area (FAO 2025) and retained 3rd position worldwide in annual net forest gain. 
  • Unveiled a Detailed Action Plan for Aravalli Landscape Restoration and 36,025 hectare area restored in 2025. 
• Wildlife Conservation: New Madhav Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) declared; 6th All India Tiger Estimation initiated. Elephant Reserves increased to 33 in 2025 (up from 26 in 2014). 
  • Protected Areas increased to 1,134 (from 745 in 2014); Community Reserves increased to 309. 
  • Project Cheetah entered expansion phase with introduction into Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary (MP). The total cheetah population reached 30, including 19 cubs born in India.  
  • Launched 5 national-level projects (including Project Dolphin Phase II, Sloth Bear, Gharial, a Centre of Excellence for Human-Wildlife Conflict Management, and a Project on "Tigers Outside Tiger Reserve") and 4 national-level action plans for covering River Dolphins, Tigers, Snow Leopard and Bustards. 
• Climate Change Leadership: Installed capacity from non-fossil fuels crossed 50% in June 2025, 5 years ahead of schedule (2030). Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) operationalized. 
• Air Quality & Urban Environment: 103 cities recorded reduced PM10 levels (2024-25 vs 2017-18); 22 cities met National Ambient Air Quality Standards under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). 
  • 75 new projects sanctioned in 2025 under the Nagar Van Yojana.  
• Coastal, Wetland & Mangrove Conservation: 4,536 Ha of mangroves restored in 2025 under the MISHTI Programme. 
  • Added 11 new Ramsar Sites, bringing India's total to 96 – the highest in Asia. Udaipur and Indore are designated as India's first Ramsar Wetland Cities. 
  • 18 beaches certified as Blue Flag beaches as of 2025-26. 
• Waste Management & Circular Economy: 71,401 producers and 4,447 recyclers registered on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal (as of 03.12.2025). Approx. 375.11 lakh tonnes of waste recycled. 
• Environmental Awareness: Mission LiFE mobilized over 6 crore participants in over 34 lakh LiFE events; 4.96 crore pledges taken (Meri LiFE portal data). 

What are the Major Reforms Undertaken by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the year 2025? 

• Revised Framework for GCP: Revised Green Credit Programme (GCP) expanded participation to public/private entities for restoring degraded forest land.  
  • Green Credits issued after 5 years for achieving ≥40% canopy density (1 credit per tree older than 5 years). 
• Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Amendment Rules, 2025: Expanded land bank creation in degraded/government/recorded forest lands (≤0.4 canopy).  
  • Streamlined approvals for critical/strategic/deep-seated/atomic mineral mining with enhanced Compensatory Afforestation (CA) norms. 
• Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025: Provided framework for identification, assessment and remediation of contaminated sites. 
• Environment Audit Rules, 2025: Introduced cadre of Certified Third-Party Environmental Auditors for on-site verification and compliance audits, reinforcing Trust Based Compliance. 
• PARIVESH 2.0: PARIVESH 2.0 achieved complete automation in clearance management and integrated GIS for real-time decision support. Served as a single-window interface integrated with PM Gatishakti NMP, National Single Window System (NSWS), CAMPA’s digital payment gateway, and QCI-NABET’s accreditation portal. 
• Environmental Clearance & Ease of Doing Business Reforms: Mining projects of minerals reclassified from ‘minor’ to ‘major’ with lease area up to 5 hectares appraised as Category ‘B2’ under EIA Notification, 2006. 
  • Green Belt requirements rationalized for industrial estates/parks and individual industries based on pollution potential. 

What Further Steps are Needed to Strengthen Environmental Conservation in India? 

• Strengthen Legal Systems and Enforcement: Strengthen AI-based sensors for pollution tracking while establishing accountability through independent audits of regulators and expanding the National Green Tribunal's jurisdiction. Furthermore, make the Right to a Clean and Healthy Environment a standalone Fundamental Right and legally codify the regulations such as the Polluter Pays Principle. 
• Green Financing & Economic Instruments: Develop a robust domestic CCTS, making offsets mandatory for high-polluting sectors like steel, cement, and thermal power, while scaling up sovereign green bonds. Additionally, mandate that 50% of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending be directed to environmental projects. 
• Urban Planning: Enforce climate-centric urban planning with mandatory green belts, net-zero building codes, and mixed land use by institutionalizing "Sponge City" frameworks and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in master plans for Blue-Green Infrastructure. Integrate initiatives like AMRUT 2.0 and the Smart Cities Mission with sustainable drainage, urban forestry, and renewable-powered public transport. 
• Build Coastal & Forest Resilience: Integrate Van Dhan Vikas Kendras with afforestation and prioritize the ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems.  
  • For coastal resilience, adopt Integrated Coastal Zone Management with "Living Shorelines" of mangroves and coral reefs and build disaster-resilient infrastructure in vulnerable Himalayan and coastal areas using mandatory Climate Risk Assessments. 
• Transitions in Energy, Transport, Agriculture & Industry: Decarbonize transport by promoting electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, and bio-CNG buses. Promote Climate-Smart Agriculture through precision farming, conservation tillage, and resilient seed varieties, while developing domestic "Urban Mining" clusters for critical mineral recycling. 

Conclusion 

In 2025, India's MoEFCC consolidated significant gains in green cover, wildlife conservation, and climate action while pioneering major regulatory and digital governance reforms, positioning the country as a global leader in integrating ecological sustainability with transformative economic growth. 

Drishti Mains Question:

Evaluate the policy measures required to strengthen India’s environmental conservation, renewable energy transition, and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. What is India’s global ranking in forest area as per FAO 2025? 
India ranks 9th globally in forest area and 3rd in annual net forest gain. 

2. What significant target was achieved in India's non-fossil fuel capacity in 2025? 
Installed capacity from non-fossil fuels crossed 50% in June 2025, achieving this NDC target five years ahead of the 2030 schedule. 

3. How many mangroves were restored under the MISHTI Programme in 2025? 
A total of 4,536 hectares of mangroves were restored in 2025. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)  

Prelims 

Q. Consider the following statements : (2023)

1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realization of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol. 
2. The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction.  

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  

(a) 1 only   

(b) 2 only  

(c) Both 1 and 2   

(d) Neither 1 nor 2  

Ans: (c)

Q. With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of “Conservation Agriculture” assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture? (2018)

1. Avoiding the monoculture practices 
2. Adopting minimum tillage. 
3. Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops 
4. Using crop residues to cover soil surface 
5. Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotations 

Select the correct answer using the code given below:  

(a) 1, 3 and 4   

(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5  

(c) 2, 4 and 5   

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 5  

Ans: (c)

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Mains

Q. “The most significant achievement of modern law in India is the constitutionalization of environmental problems by the Supreme Court.” Discuss this statement with the help of relevant case laws. (2022)

Q. How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act,2002 helpful in the conservation of flora and fauna? (2018)