RAS question
India's Green Credit Programme was launched in:
Correct answer: (B) 2023 under Environment Protection Act for incentivizing positive environmental actions.
India's Green Credit Programme was launched in 2023 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to incentivise voluntary positive environmental actions through green credits.
Explanation
India's Green Credit Programme is anchored in the Green Credit Rules, 2023, notified on 12 October 2023 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. PIB describes it as a mechanism to encourage voluntary environment-positive actions that lead to the issue of green credits. This is why the year and legal basis matter: the programme is not just a broad environmental slogan, but a rule-backed incentive system. Covered actions include tree planting, water conservation, waste management and air-pollution reduction, with credits tradable on a dedicated platform. PIB also notes a dedicated web platform and Green Credit registry, and says the first phase focuses on voluntary tree plantation on degraded land, wasteland and watershed areas.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 'Not relevant' is wrong because the Green Credit Programme is a specific 2023 environmental policy instrument with a stated legal basis and incentive mechanism.
- (C) Calling it only an economic concept misses that it is a notified programme under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, with green credits issued for voluntary environmental actions.
- (D) It is not merely a political term, because PIB identifies Green Credit Rules, 2023, a programme administrator, and a digital platform and registry for implementation.
Concept
This tests current environment governance under Science and Technology, especially market-linked instruments used to push environmental action beyond compliance. RAS often asks such schemes because they connect legal provisions, climate policy and administrative implementation.