GS-III: Economy, Environment, S&T
Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports
Not met yet — counts as met once you answer a question on it.
Two landmark frameworks govern Western Ghats conservation and diverge sharply in scope. The Gadgil Committee Report (2011) recommended declaring the entire Western Ghats an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) under a three-tier zonal system prohibiting mining, quarrying, and thermal power projects. The Kasturirangan Committee Report (2013) took a narrower approach, designating only 37% of the Western Ghats as ESA on a 'cultural landscape' basis and allowing regulated human activity in the remainder. Implementation has stalled due to resistance from Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra, leaving ecological conservation in tension with livelihood and development rights.