Environment vs Development
Essay Category: 2.2 | Last updated: 2026-06-04
PYQs Asked
- Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow them. -2024
- Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence. -2022
- Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India. -2018
- Should a moratorium be imposed on all fresh mining in tribal areas of the country? -2010
- Urbanisation and its hazards. -2008
- Protection of ecology and environment is essential for sustained economic development. -2006
- Urbanization is a blessing in disguise. -1997
- Ecological considerations need not hamper development. -1993
Content Bank
Key Arguments & Ideas
(Core conceptual frameworks, thesis-antithesis points, philosophical anchors)
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Facts & Data
(Statistics, schemes, policy details, reports — use as evidence in essay body)
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Contemporary Examples
- Delhi-NCR vehicle transition scheme (2026): Cabinet approved ₹9,585 cr scheme to replace 2.07 lakh BS-IV/older trucks and buses with BS-VI/EV — balancing economic activity (transport sector) with environmental protection (30-35% pollution reduction target). Shows development and environment need not be opposed. (The Hindu, 04-06-2026)
- Mega Science Vision 2035: India's inability to manufacture its own climate research instruments means climate data credibility is at risk. Connects to essay theme: can development (industrialisation) coexist with environmental stewardship when we can't even measure environmental change accurately? (The Hindu, 04-06-2026)
- Post-Maoism Bastar & PESA: India declared Maoist-free (March 2026) — but unresolved jal-jungle-zameen (water, forest, land) rights remain. Mining in tribal areas (PESA essay relevance: "Should a moratorium be imposed on all fresh mining in tribal areas? -2010") — security victory without development justice is unsustainable. (The Hindu, 04-06-2026)
- Great Nicobar Project: ₹-thousands-crore port-airport-township-power project at Galathea Bay — a textbook "development vs environment" case. Strategic case (watchtower over the Malacca chokepoint) vs ecological cost (leatherback turtle nesting beach, rainforest, Nicobarese tribal land). NGT cleared it; the framing — "national security with ecological responsibility", ecology must not be a "permanent veto" — is a ready essay line for nuanced both-sides treatment. (Indian Express, 04-06-2026)
- Drought-resilient agriculture (2026): Facing a feared weak monsoon, the Agriculture Ministry used ~10,000 FPOs to push farmers from water-intensive paddy to pulses/millets and low-cost mulching — development (food security, farm incomes) achieved through ecological prudence (water conservation), not against it. (Indian Express, 04-06-2026)
Historical Examples
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Useful Quotes
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Essay Angles & Structure Tips
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