Maarg Manthan · Topic 20.10

PARIVESH Portal (Environmental Clearances)

Current Affairs & Government Schemes › Government Portals, Apps and Digital Platforms · Topic 20.10

PARIVESH, short for Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub, is the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change single-window portal for environmental, forest, wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2018. Project proponents apply online, and the application moves through the expert committees and state authorities with tracking and automatic alerts. It was built by the National Informatics Centre and aims to cut delay, duplication and discretion in clearances. A later upgrade, often called PARIVESH 2.0, adds a decision support system, geospatial tools and modules such as Know Your Approval.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Current Affairs & Government Schemes · Government Portals, Apps and Digital Platforms

At a Glance

Full form Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub
Launched August 2018
Ministry Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Built by National Informatics Centre
Covers Environmental, forest, wildlife and CRZ clearances
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Government Portals, Apps and Digital Platforms

Where Does It Fit?

PARIVESH is the environment side of e-governance in this macro. It sits between development projects and ecological safeguards, so it connects with infrastructure planning in PM Gati Shakti and with the rules of environmental impact assessment studied in the environment subject. Previous topic: Aarogya Setu App. Next topic: PM Gati Shakti Digital Platform.

Which Clearances Does PARIVESH Handle?

Clearance	Legal base and authority
Environmental Clearance	Under the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Category A projects go to the Expert Appraisal Committee at the Centre. Category B projects go to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority
Forest Clearance	For diversion of forest land under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, renamed the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam in 2023
Wildlife Clearance	Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, for projects in or near protected areas, with review by the National Board for Wild Life or its standing committee
CRZ Clearance	Under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019, for projects in coastal areas
Other approvals	Linked permissions such as consent from pollution control boards are tracked through connected systems
Tracking	Applicants and the public can follow the status of an application online

What Does the Portal Change?

Single window: one application is used for several clearances, instead of separate forms to separate offices
Workflow: online submission, scrutiny, agenda, minutes and decision are all recorded on the platform, which reduces paperwork
Transparency: public notices, minutes of expert committee meetings and clearance letters are posted, so citizens can see decisions
Timelines: the stated aim is to meet prescribed time limits, and delays are visible to the ministry
States: State authorities and forest departments work on the same platform, which supports coordination between the Centre and states
PARIVESH 2.0: an upgrade that adds a decision support system, geographic information system links and modules such as Know Your Approval and Land Bank, as described in official material
Baseline data: in April 2026 the environment ministry made baseline environmental data available to project proponents through the portal, as reported
Reported impact: some reports say average processing times fell sharply, but the figures vary by source and are not independently verified

What Else Should You Remember?

Full form and alias: PARIVESH is also written as Parivesh, and the word means environment in Hindi
Latest status: the portal is the main system for applying for these clearances, and PARIVESH 2.0 features have been rolled out in stages. Check parivesh.nic.in for current modules
Expert Appraisal Committee: a committee of experts that studies project proposals and recommends for or against environmental clearance
EIA process: a typical process has screening, scoping, public consultation, appraisal and decision, and PARIVESH carries out the steps online
Link with Gati Shakti: the infrastructure planning platform and PARIVESH both aim to cut project delay, as in PM Gati Shakti Digital Platform
Link with ease of doing business: faster clearances are part of the reform push, so the portal is seen as a business facilitation tool
Link with conservation: a faster process is welcome if scrutiny stays strong, and critics say that speed can reduce depth of review
Criticism: public hearing: critics argue that online notices do not replace meaningful consultation with affected communities, especially in remote areas
Criticism: compliance: monitoring of clearance conditions after approval is weak, and the portal is stronger on grant of clearance than on checking compliance
Way forward: independent appraisal, publication of compliance reports, use of satellite data for monitoring and wider local language support

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Full form: Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub
Ministry: Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Clearances: environment, forest, wildlife and CRZ
Authorities: EAC for Category A, SEIAA for Category B
Common errors: saying that it handles only forest clearance, or that it is run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti

As an analytical point, a single window reduces delay and discretion, which helps both investors and citizens. It supports conservation only if the quality of appraisal, public consultation and post-clearance monitoring rise together with speed.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Environment EIA and clearances
E-governance Single-window systems
Facts Full form and coverage

What Came Next?

The last topic of the macro covers the PM Gati Shakti Digital Platform. Next topic: PM Gati Shakti Digital Platform.

Key People and Terms

PARIVESH Single-window clearance portal
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EAC Expert Appraisal Committee
SEIAA State Environment Impact Assessment Authority
CRZ Coastal Regulation Zone
Baseline data Starting data on environment of a site

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Launched August 2018.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Covers EC, FC, wildlife and CRZ.
Category A: EAC; Category B: SEIAA.
Upgrade: PARIVESH 2.0.

Do Not Confuse With

PARIVESH and the EIA Notification A portal versus the rule it applies
EAC and SEIAA Central versus state appraisal body
PARIVESH and PM Gati Shakti portal Clearance portal versus infrastructure planning platform

Memory Hook

One window, four clearances, a green click to speed the projects along.

Mains Angle

Questions ask how single-window systems balance speed and environmental safeguards. These points give a balanced frame.

Benefits Speed, transparency, coordination
Concerns Weak consultation, compliance gaps
Way forward Independent appraisal, monitoring, local access

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Discuss how single-window systems such as PARIVESH can balance ease of doing business with environmental protection.”

How to Answer

Context Delays and discretion.
Portal Clearances covered.
Gains Speed and transparency.
Concerns Consultation and compliance.
Way Monitoring and appraisal quality.

GS Relevance

Prelims: full form, ministry, clearances covered. GS Paper 3: environmental impact assessment, conservation, ease of doing business, e-governance. GS Paper 2: transparency in governance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PARIVESH portal?

PARIVESH, or Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub, is the single-window portal of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for environmental, forest, wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances. It was launched in August 2018 and built by the National Informatics Centre.

Which clearances are given through PARIVESH?

PARIVESH handles environmental clearance under the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification of 2006, forest clearance for diversion of forest land, wildlife clearance for projects in or near protected areas, and Coastal Regulation Zone clearance. Applicants follow the status online, and expert committees and state authorities act on the same platform.

Which ministry runs PARIVESH?

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change runs the portal, and the National Informatics Centre built it. Category A projects are appraised by the Expert Appraisal Committee at the Centre, while Category B projects are handled by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, and both use the platform for their workflow.

What is PARIVESH 2.0?

PARIVESH 2.0 is the upgraded version of the portal, described in official material as adding a decision support system, geographic information system links and modules such as Know Your Approval and Land Bank. In April 2026 the ministry also made baseline environmental data available to project proponents through the portal, as reported.

What is the latest status of PARIVESH?

The portal is the main system for applying for environmental, forest, wildlife and CRZ clearances, and PARIVESH 2.0 features have been added in stages, including baseline environmental data reported in April 2026. Claims on reduced processing time vary by source, so candidates should check the ministry and parivesh.nic.in for current figures.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 PARIVESH is a single-window portal for several environmental clearances.

True

It covers environment, forest, wildlife and CRZ clearances.

2 PARIVESH is run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

False

It is run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

3 Category B projects are appraised by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority.