MoEFCC Launches 'NIRANTAR' Platform for Institutional Coordination | 14 Jan 2026

Why in News? 

The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) chaired a high-level meeting in January 2026 to operationalize the NIRANTAR Platform.

Key Points: 

• NIRANTAR Dashboard: It is a digital unified dashboard designed to strengthen coordination among MoEFCC institutions like the Pollution Control Boards (CPCB/SPCBs), Forest Survey of India (FSI), and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). 
• Real-time Monitoring: The platform enables the real-time tracking of environmental clearances, forest fire alerts, and wildlife trafficking data. 
• Data Integration: It aims to eliminate "silo-based" functioning, ensuring that climate data from various research bodies is accessible for policy-making under one window. 
• MoEFCC: The nodal agency in the Central Government for overseeing environmental and forestry policies. 
• Digital India in Environment: NIRANTAR follows earlier initiatives like PARIVESH (for environment clearances), but offers a broader scope for inter-agency collaboration. 
• Sustainable Development: The platform is a tool to meet SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by ensuring data-driven conservation.