Environmental policy in India: symbolism in issues and policies

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5545952

Khator, R

During the last two decades, the environmental protection issue has acquired political agenda status in both developing and developed countries. This is somewhat surprising because of (1) its novelty, (2) its suddenness, and (3) its universality. On the basis of various theoretical frameworks available in social science literature. Several factors can be identified for emergence of environmental issue in a given political system. The factors identified in environmental policy area include: physical factors (the intensity of the problem), environmental factors (policy diffusion at international level, socioeconomic factors (subordination of policy process to elite interests), and political-bureaucratic factors (competitive political system and bureaucratic specialization). Although not mutually exclusive, these explanations taken together present a broad array of variables influencing the issue-creation process. However, this literature is based on the experience of developed countries where issue status is presumed to have genuine consequences. This study attempts to demonstrate that these variables are of limited power in the context of a developing country. Through an analysis of India's environmental policy, it is shown that the environmental issue is essentially symbolic rather than substantive.

• Research Organization: Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5545952
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
ASIA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INDIA
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
POLITICAL ASPECTS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS