Climate action needs well-structured policies, says President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu said on Sunday that climate change is a complex challenge causing biodiversity loss, water stress and land degradation, and tackling it requires a well-structured framework of policies and actions. Speaking at the valedictory session of a two-day international conference organised by the National Green Tribunal, she called for participation of governments, legal experts and affected communities, and backed traditional knowledge-based adaptation and sustainable afforestation. Delegates from 17 countries attended.
Source
Hindustan Times — India · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (4)
- Climate change causes biodiversity loss, water stress and land degradation and needs a well-structured framework of policies and actions. — Attributed to President Droupadi Murmu at the conference valedictory session.
- The two-day international conference on 'The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics' was organised by the National Green Tribunal. — Stated in source; organiser named.
- India's per-capita emissions are less than half the global average and those of developed countries are six times higher. — Attributed to PM Narendra Modi on the conference's first day; figures not independently verifiable here.
- Experts, judges, jurists and stakeholders from 17 countries attended, with Khattar, justice Nagarathna, justice Shrivastava and SG Tushar Mehta present on Sunday. — Figure and names appear in source; no separate sourcing given.
Analysts’ view opinion
On the surface this was an environmental address, but its political message was unmistakable: climate commitments must stay aligned with India's development needs and be "technically feasible". Read alongside the Prime Minister's remark on the first day that developing countries are "unjustly blamed" for emissions, a single strategic thread runs through the conference. The platform effectively lent India's negotiating posture the weight of its highest constitutional office.
- Having both the Prime Minister and the President advance the developing-country argument at the same event reads as an effort to present a unified Indian voice in climate diplomacy.
- The explicit mention of forest-dwelling communities, small farmers and women is language that travels well politically, and carries added credibility coming from a President with a tribal background.
- The presence of the judiciary (a Supreme Court judge, the NGT chairperson) alongside the executive (a Union minister, the solicitor general) projects an image of institutional consensus on environmental policy.
- The emphasis that afforestation means restoring ecosystems rather than merely planting trees can be read as an implicit nudge to measure outcomes, not just targets.
- With delegates from 17 countries present, the forum fits India's longer-term positioning as a voice for the Global South.
What to watch — Watch whether the conference's themes — community participation and traditional-knowledge-based adaptation — translate into actual legislative or NGT institutional changes, or remain at the level of rhetoric.
The story establishes no new policy, law or funding commitment, and offers nothing on follow-up government action or opposition reaction.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 2 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), India's specialised environmental adjudicatory body, organised a two-day international conference titled "The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics", attended by experts, judges, jurists and stakeholders from 17 countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the first day; President Droupadi Murmu delivered the address at the valedictory session on Sunday. The speeches focused on how environmental law, institutions and climate policy should treat vulnerable communities, traditional knowledge and the development needs of developing countries.
Key facts
- President Droupadi Murmu said climate change is a complex challenge causing biodiversity loss, water stress and land degradation, needing a well-structured framework of policies and actions.
- She spoke at the valedictory session of a two-day international conference organised by the National Green Tribunal on "The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics".
- The conference included experts, judges, jurists and key stakeholders from 17 countries.
- Murmu said the framework must ensure active participation of governments, legal experts and the communities most affected by climate change.
- She stressed special sensitivity towards rural and forest-dwelling societies, small farmers, women and other vulnerable communities who bear the brunt of natural disasters.
- She said the true objective of sustainable afforestation is not merely planting trees but restoring healthy, self-sustaining ecosystems aligned with local conditions.
- On day one, PM Narendra Modi said developing countries are often "unjustly blamed" for carbon emissions, with India's per-capita emissions "less than half of the global average" and developed countries' six times higher.
- Day two participants included Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Supreme Court justice BV Nagarathna, NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava and solicitor general Tushar Mehta.
Timeline
- Day 1 of the conference (date not stated in the source)Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates and says developing countries are unjustly blamed for carbon emissions, citing India's low per-capita emissions.
- Sunday (day 2, valedictory session)President Droupadi Murmu addresses the session; justice BV Nagarathna and NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava also speak.
Who has a stake
- National Green Tribunal (NGT) — Organiser of the conference; its chairperson called for moving beyond identifying challenges to building responsive laws, institutions and partnerships.
- President Droupadi Murmu — Set out the case for a structured, participatory climate policy framework rooted in traditional knowledge and sustainable afforestation.
- Rural and forest-dwelling societies, small farmers, women and vulnerable communities — Bear the brunt of natural disasters; the President said policy needs special sensitivity to their needs and their participation.
- Developing countries including India — Need to enhance resilience while maintaining development pace; PM said they are unjustly blamed for carbon emissions.
- Judiciary (Supreme Court justice BV Nagarathna, NGT bench) — Environmental governance must balance development and conservation, present needs and future interests across communities and generations.
- Union government (minister Manohar Lal Khattar, solicitor general Tushar Mehta) — Represent executive and legal arms engaged in shaping environmental law and urban-environment policy.
Why it matters
The remarks frame India's official position that climate action must be equitable, community-centred and calibrated to development needs rather than imposed uniformly on developing countries. They also signal a judicial and policy push to translate climate concern into enforceable laws, institutions and partnerships, with attention to vulnerable groups and future generations.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- National Green Tribunal (NGT) organised the international conference on "The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics"; NGT chairperson is justice Prakash Shrivastava.
- Delegates from 17 countries attended the two-day conference.
- President Droupadi Murmu delivered the valedictory address; PM Narendra Modi spoke on day one.
- PM Modi: India's per-capita emissions are less than half the global average; developed countries' are six times higher.
- Supreme Court judge who spoke: justice BV Nagarathna; solicitor general present: Tushar Mehta.
- Murmu linked climate change to biodiversity loss, water stress and land degradation.
Mains framing
The conference reflects a shift in India's climate discourse from diagnosing environmental harm to designing the legal and institutional architecture for response. President Murmu's framing identifies three causal strands: climate change generating biodiversity loss, water stress and land degradation; the unequal burden borne by rural, forest-dwelling, small-farmer and women-headed households; and the development constraint facing countries whose per-capita emissions remain far below the global average. The implications are twofold — climate policy that excludes affected communities risks being unimplementable, and afforestation reduced to tree-planting targets risks ecological failure unless it restores self-sustaining ecosystems suited to local conditions. The way forward suggested by the speakers is a well-structured framework with active participation of governments, legal experts and affected communities; people-centric, community-based adaptation rooted in traditional knowledge; commitments that are technically feasible and aligned with economic aspirations; and environmental law that is responsive and forward-looking, embracing technology, innovation, sustainable finance and just transition, while balancing development with conservation and present needs with future interests.
Key terms
- National Green Tribunal (NGT)
- Specialised body for environmental adjudication in India; organised the conference, headed by chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava.
- Climate adaptation
- Building capacity to cope with climate impacts; the President urged people-centric, community-based approaches rooted in traditional knowledge.
- Sustainable afforestation
- Per the President, not merely planting trees but restoring healthy, self-sustaining ecosystems aligned with local conditions and biodiversity.
- Per-capita emissions
- Emissions per person; PM Modi said India's are less than half the global average while developed countries' are six times higher.
- Just transition
- Named by justice Shrivastava as an element environmental law must embrace, alongside technology, innovation and sustainable finance.
- Land degradation
- Decline in land productivity and ecosystem health, cited by the President as one consequence of climate change.
Practice questions
- "Climate action must be inclusive and equitable." Discuss how community participation and traditional knowledge systems can strengthen India's climate adaptation framework.
- Examine the role of the National Green Tribunal in evolving India's environmental governance, and the case for laws that are 'responsive and forward-looking'.
- Developing countries are 'unjustly blamed' for carbon emissions. Critically analyse this claim in the context of per-capita emissions and the development-resilience balance.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.