Parliamentary Panel Adopts Report on Wildlife Protection Bill

On 18th April 2022 Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh announced that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change has finalised and adopted its report on the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill 2021. 

Jairam Ramesh was also the Chairman of the Standing Committee. According to his announcement, “the report strikes a fine balance between the government’s  aims and valid concerns of conservationists”  The report shall be submitted before the deadline of 24th April, 2022 and thereafter be made available to the public. 

The Bill envisioned to amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to establish an effective and better structure of compliance with the mandates of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  Further, the Amendment Bill also envisages to include factors such as “conservation” and “management” of wildlife that have been dealt with in the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. It seeks to  establish mechanisms and implement amendments that shall promote robust management of the identified protected areas.

The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on 17 December 2021 and on December 25 it was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment.